A federal judge recently sentenced a 33-year-old man to prison for his part in smuggling firearms, ammunition and high-capacity magazines from the U.S. back to his home country of Mexico.
Jesus Angel Vasquez Balganon pleaded guilty to internationally laundering tens of thousands of dollars to support his smuggling operation.
Authorities say that over the course of roughly three years, he moved dozens of firearms, including a machine gun and assault rifles, plus 20,000 rounds of ammunition.
At the Nogales Port of Entry, Vasquez Balganon was caught in 2021 with high-capacity magazines hidden in his vehicle. He told authorities he was expecting to be paid $100 for them.
In addition to his seven-year prison sentence, Vasquez Balganon will serve three years of supervised release and forfeit $100,000.
