A federal sting that stretched from Las Cruces to El Paso has left one local man facing serious prison time. According to court records, Victor Andrew Pardo Jr. is accused of selling cocaine and illegal machine gun conversion devices to undercover agents, first in 2025 and again in two controlled buys this year. He now faces federal counts that include possession with intent to distribute, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm, and he remains in custody while the case moves forward.
Undercover buys and timeline
Investigators working with the DEA, ATF, and the Department of the Army CID first zeroed in on Pardo in August 2025, according to KVIA. The outlet reports that on Aug. 19, 2025, agents made a controlled purchase of a machine gun conversion device from Pardo in Las Cruces for $300. The part was later analyzed and determined to meet the federal legal definition of a machine gun.
KVIA, citing court documents, reports that a surveillance team followed Pardo from his Las Cruces residence to a meeting in El Paso on Jan. 27. There, he allegedly sold about 249.6 grams of cocaine for $5,000. On Feb. 19, agents say he again weighed and sold roughly 251.6 grams of cocaine, this time at his Las Cruces home. Those transactions form the backbone of the drug and firearms counts now pending against him.
Why conversion devices matter
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives states that parts designed to convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm - often called “switches,” “chips” or “auto sears” - are treated as machine guns under federal law even when they are not attached to a weapon. ATF has warned that these small devices can make a pistol or rifle fire continuously with a single trigger pull and that possessing, manufacturing, or selling them can lead straight to federal prosecution.
Federal enforcement in New Mexico
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Mexico has brought multiple recent cases that combine conversion devices with drug and firearms charges as part of a broader regional enforcement push. Press releases from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico, describe prior guilty pleas and sentences for selling or manufacturing these parts and repeatedly emphasize the public safety risks they say the devices pose.
Legal ramifications
Under federal statutes and ATF guidance, any component intended to convert a firearm into automatic fire qualifies as a “machine gun” under both the National Firearms Act and the Gun Control Act. That classification exposes anyone who sells or possesses such parts to significant federal penalties. ATF and Justice Department materials note that offenses involving conversion devices can carry steep prison terms, while drug distribution convictions add separate sentencing ranges that depend on the drug quantity and other factors.
Prosecutors say Pardo faces charges that carry up to 20 years in prison and that he will remain in custody while the case proceeds, according to KVIA. The DEA, ATF, and Army CID are listed as the agencies involved in the investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is handling the indictment and upcoming court schedule as the case moves through federal court.
