Federal agents say a quiet border-town gun pipeline was running through Imperial Beach, and they now have a man in custody they accuse of helping arm both the Sinaloa Cartel and local gang members.
According to federal investigators, 32-year-old Oscar Villalobos Iriarte was arrested in early April on allegations that he bought and moved as many as 44 firearms. Several of those guns later turned up at crime scenes in San Diego and in Tijuana, Mexico, according to investigators.
Villalobos was taken into custody after an investigation that traced text messages and weapons sales, according to CBS 8. Search-warrant records and a phone search reviewed by reporters showed offers for multiple guns, including handguns, revolvers and what investigators listed as an AR-15 and an AR-47. In one exchange, Villalobos allegedly offered several firearms for about $3,000. Another message described a .45-caliber handgun as “a little bit hot,” wording investigators say suggested the weapon may have already been used in a crime.
Federal crackdown and the border pipeline
The U.S.-Mexico border has long been a two-way street for contraband, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California says guns flowing south are getting increased attention. Prosecutors in the region have ramped up cases tied to cross-border gun trafficking over the past several years, with more indictments targeting the supply side of cartel armament, according to The U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The agency reports an uptick in prosecutions involving trafficked guns, and ATF officials say their strategy is to cut off the supply before weapons reach violent criminals or cross into Mexico. Federal investigators have repeatedly pointed to patterns in which firearms purchased or diverted in Southern California later show up at crime scenes south of the border.
What investigators say they found
Court records reviewed by local reporters show Villalobos purchased four firearms at a Turner's Outdoorsman on Clairemont Mesa and picked them up on September 24, 2025. The documents also state he later bought a Rock Island 1911 at Discount Gun Mart on March 30, according to CBS 8.
Investigators say phone and sales records indicate Villalobos offered to sell as many as eight guns at a time. At least three firearms tied to him were later recovered at San Diego crime scenes, and two others were found in Tijuana, according to the court filings cited in local coverage. The warrants also identify a potential buyer as a documented Sherman Heights gang member who had been arrested in a separate shooting investigation, per that reporting.
Legal implications
Federal prosecutors have not yet laid out the exact charges, but if they follow the playbook used in similar trafficking cases, the counts could be severe. Common charges include dealing in firearms without a license and making false statements during firearm purchases, along with smuggling or export-related offenses when weapons are believed to have crossed borders.
According to an overview from the Congressional Research Service, dealing in firearms without a license can carry up to five years in prison and potential fines, while other federal statutes tied to trafficking and export violations can bring much higher maximum penalties depending on the specific conduct. ATF case summaries provide examples of how those statutes have been applied in recent prosecutions.
Villalobos remains in federal custody as prosecutors prepare formal charges and court appearances. Upcoming hearings and filings will spell out the exact counts on the federal docket. Local reporting noted that his attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
Anyone with information about illegal gun sales or trafficking is urged to contact the ATF tip line at 1-888-ATF-TIPS or submit information online through ATF channels. Federal and local authorities say going after small-scale suppliers who arm gangs and transnational groups is a key tactic in curbing both neighborhood shootings and cross-border violence.
