Anastacio Montez-Deoca is being sought across San Antonio after authorities say he removed the GPS monitor that came with his bond release in a firearms case involving an alleged machine gun. At 19, he is now without court-ordered supervision, and officials say his last known location was on the city’s Northwest Side.
According to Fox San Antonio, Montez-Deoca was previously arrested on charges of aiding and abetting firearms trafficking and illegally possessing a machine gun. He was released on bond under home confinement and GPS monitoring, but authorities say he allegedly removed the device and disappeared.
Authorities describe Montez-Deoca as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and approximately 200 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a distinctive lips tattoo across his neck. Officials also warned that fugitives may change their appearance to avoid recognition.
The search is being handled by the U.S. Marshals Service’s Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, a multi-agency operation serving the Western District of Texas. The U.S. Marshals Service says the task force investigates and apprehends fugitives wanted at the federal, state and local levels.
Marshals Ask For Tips From San Antonio Residents
Anyone with information about Montez-Deoca’s whereabouts is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at 210-657-8500, Fox San Antonio reported. The public should provide information directly to authorities rather than attempt to intervene.
Machine Gun Allegation Carries Federal Legal Consequences
Federal law generally prohibits private possession or transfer of a machine gun, with narrow exceptions involving government possession and certain weapons lawfully possessed before May 19, 1986. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives explains the restriction under 18 U.S.C. § 922(o) in its federal firearms guidance.
The alleged GPS removal is a separate pretrial issue from the firearms accusations. The available report does not say whether prosecutors have filed an additional charge tied to the alleged monitor removal, and the accusations against Montez-Deoca remain unproven in court.
GPS Monitor Cutoffs Have Drawn Recent Local Searches
The case comes as San Antonio-area authorities continue to search for defendants accused of cutting off court-ordered monitors. In April, Hoodline reported an April GPS search for a Bexar County man wanted after an alleged family-violence incident, while a January monitor arrest involved a San Antonio parolee accused of removing his ankle device after a shooting investigation.
