A Laredo man who turned his home into a one-stop shop for cocaine and automatic weapons has been ordered to serve 495 months in federal prison, after prosecutors linked his operation to reckless gunfire in local neighborhoods and even the use of a minor to test-fire firearms. The Thursday, April 9, 2026 sentencing capped a jury conviction on a dozen federal counts. Authorities said the man, who is not a U.S. citizen, is expected to face deportation once he finishes his federal time.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, Visiting U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle imposed the 495-month sentence on 34-year-old Carlos Alberto Garcia-Guajardo after a short jury trial in December 2025. Prosecutors said the court factored in Garcia-Guajardo’s leadership role in the scheme and evidence that firearms were fired near children and from moving vehicles. The office also highlighted the case in its social media posts.
Undercover Buys And Weapons Modified For Automatic Fire
As reported by the Laredo Morning Times, the undercover probe kicked off in early January 2025 when agents bought a pistol that led to additional purchases. Prosecutors said agents later bought two machine guns, including a Glock 22 fitted with a conversion device that allowed automatic fire. Investigators ultimately recovered about 10 firearms when they executed a search warrant on Jan. 31, 2025, at a home in the 3000 block of Monterrey Street.
Evidence Found At The Home And Co-Defendant Outcomes
The search turned up scales, cash and crack cocaine stored near items belonging to young children, according to court filings. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Garcia-Guajardo’s associate, Fernando Patino Jr., pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, while Jose Guadalupe Hernandez-Garza admitted to illegal possession of a firearm and has also been ordered to prison.
Part Of A Wider Enforcement Push
Prosecutors framed the case as part of "Operation Take Back America," a nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on illegal reentry, cartel-linked crime and violent offenders. Recent district notices show the Southern District of Texas has pursued hundreds of immigration-related and firearms cases in recent months, with stepped-up coordination among ATF, DEA, ICE-HSI, Border Patrol and local law enforcement, a trend highlighted in regional coverage in December.
Legal Stakes
Garcia-Guajardo was convicted on 12 counts that carry a mandatory minimum of 30 years and a potential life term under federal law, and court records show that federal statutes bar non-citizens who have been removed from possessing firearms. Sentencing reflected the judge’s findings about the danger posed to children and nearby residents, and officials say the defendants will remain in federal custody until they are transferred to Bureau of Prisons facilities and, eventually, to immigration authorities for removal proceedings.
