A 49-year-old undocumented Mexican man has been given a sentence of over seven years following a taco truck robbery in Houston, as U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei's office reports. Moises Arvizo Del Carmen, after pleading guilty on May 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ellison to 94 months in federal prison. Following the completion of his sentence, Del Carmen—who is not a U.S. citizen—is expected to be removed from the country, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The incident in question occurred on September 12, 2023 when Del Carmen demanded money at gunpoint after entering the food truck through a customer service window. According to an announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office, employees were threatened as he fled with the cash, making an escape in a distinctive Hummer embellished with purple flames—a detail corroborated by surveillance footage and witness descriptions.
The case was a result of cooperative work between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Houston Police Department. Authorities eventually located Del Carmen roughly three weeks later, executing a search warrant at his residence. There, investigators found clothing matching the description given by witnesses of the robbery and a firearm, as obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
This case was prosecuted as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, aiming to connect law enforcement at all levels with communities to combat violent crime and gun violence, thereby enhancing neighborhood safety. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith, who handled the case, cited a Department of Justice strategy updated on May 26, 2021, that underpins such initiatives. It emphasizes "fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results," as the U.S. Attorney's Office notes.
