Read a BB related post of Buggs HERE
Ashley Meeks Reuters
The ousted mayor of a small New Mexico border town who helped run nearly 200 firearms to a violent Mexican drug cartel was sentenced on Thursday to 51 months in prison, authorities said.
Eddie Espinoza, 52, the former mayor of Columbus, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Robert Brack in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman said.
The ousted mayor of a small New Mexico border town who helped run nearly 200 firearms to a violent Mexican drug cartel was sentenced on Thursday to 51 months in prison, authorities said.
Eddie Espinoza, 52, the former mayor of Columbus, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Robert Brack in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman said.
Brack also
ordered three years of supervised release for Espinoza, who pleaded guilty in
July 2011 to conspiracy, three counts of making false statements in the
acquisition of firearms and three counts of smuggling firearms from the United
States.
Espinoza, who faced up to 50 years in prison, is among 12 defendants who pleaded guilty to charges in the gun-running conspiracy.
From January 2010 until March 2011, Espinoza bought 16 firearms from Chaparral Guns in Chaparral, New Mexico, falsely stating on federal forms he was buying them for himself, even though he knew they were illegally destined for Mexico, prosecutors said Thursday.
Espinoza also agreed to allow former Columbus Village Trustee Blas Gutierrez, the alleged ringleader of the conspiracy, and others, to use city-owned vehicles to transport the weapons south over the border, they said.
The guns were among 193 Kalashnikov-type assault weapons and 9 mm pistols purchased by the conspirators, who used their positions to enable trafficking of the around $70,000 worth of firearms to Mexico.
Some of those weapons were later recovered at drug busts and implicated in murders in Mexico, where more than 55,000 people have been killed in cartel-related mayhem since 2006.
Prosecutors said tactical gear and body armor were also smuggled to the Ciudad Juarez-based La Linea criminal organization, sometimes using village vehicles.
Members of La Linea, formed by rogue police officers in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua, act as enforcers for the Juarez cartel, a group also based in Ciudad Juarez that controls some of the main drug trafficking routes into the United States.
Espinoza is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in the case. Vicente "Tito" Carreon was sent to prison in March for 46 months, Brenda Christy received two years' probation in April for making a false statement in the acquisition of a firearm, and Ian Garland, the owner of Chaparral Guns in Chaparral, New Mexico, received a five-year prison sentence in May.
Gutierrez, the former village trustee and Espinoza's nephew, remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing. He faces up to 280 years in prison, while former Columbus police chief Angelo Vega could be sentenced to 35 years. All have pleaded guilty.
Gutierrez's wife, who has not pleaded guilty, was set to start trial in April in Las Cruces, but Pitman's office said on Thursday that case is "pending litigation." A final defendant, Ignacio "Nacho" Villalobos, remains a fugitive.
Vega, who was not charged in the gun purchases, bought thousands of dollars in body armor, boots, helmets and clothing, including a bulletproof vest for a La Linea enforcer, who has not been named in public documents.
Espinoza, who faced up to 50 years in prison, is among 12 defendants who pleaded guilty to charges in the gun-running conspiracy.
From January 2010 until March 2011, Espinoza bought 16 firearms from Chaparral Guns in Chaparral, New Mexico, falsely stating on federal forms he was buying them for himself, even though he knew they were illegally destined for Mexico, prosecutors said Thursday.
Espinoza also agreed to allow former Columbus Village Trustee Blas Gutierrez, the alleged ringleader of the conspiracy, and others, to use city-owned vehicles to transport the weapons south over the border, they said.
The guns were among 193 Kalashnikov-type assault weapons and 9 mm pistols purchased by the conspirators, who used their positions to enable trafficking of the around $70,000 worth of firearms to Mexico.
Some of those weapons were later recovered at drug busts and implicated in murders in Mexico, where more than 55,000 people have been killed in cartel-related mayhem since 2006.
Prosecutors said tactical gear and body armor were also smuggled to the Ciudad Juarez-based La Linea criminal organization, sometimes using village vehicles.
Members of La Linea, formed by rogue police officers in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua, act as enforcers for the Juarez cartel, a group also based in Ciudad Juarez that controls some of the main drug trafficking routes into the United States.
Espinoza is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in the case. Vicente "Tito" Carreon was sent to prison in March for 46 months, Brenda Christy received two years' probation in April for making a false statement in the acquisition of a firearm, and Ian Garland, the owner of Chaparral Guns in Chaparral, New Mexico, received a five-year prison sentence in May.
Gutierrez, the former village trustee and Espinoza's nephew, remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing. He faces up to 280 years in prison, while former Columbus police chief Angelo Vega could be sentenced to 35 years. All have pleaded guilty.
Gutierrez's wife, who has not pleaded guilty, was set to start trial in April in Las Cruces, but Pitman's office said on Thursday that case is "pending litigation." A final defendant, Ignacio "Nacho" Villalobos, remains a fugitive.
Vega, who was not charged in the gun purchases, bought thousands of dollars in body armor, boots, helmets and clothing, including a bulletproof vest for a La Linea enforcer, who has not been named in public documents.
Not enough. Put them AWAY!
ReplyDeletei give up mexico the more i read the less confidence i have for mexico might as well give ur country to cartels less killings
ReplyDeleteNew Mexico mayor... this proves once again.the us is the supplier or weapons money laundered and the one who puts the cash with millions of addicts in the country. Lets not be hypocrites. Is a double morality we as Americans showing l. The most fault is on us for.loving drugs too much
DeleteYea baby, it's time to face the music!!!!
ReplyDeleteAll these so called business men couldn't sell their ass!! They r a bunch of sorry ass no good pinche assholes who deserve nothing more than a 6x9 !!!
And that's being easy on them!!
It's time to pay the piper!!! PS good job police,dea, county, and all law enforcement!!!
Why bother. They'll be out in 48 hours.
ReplyDeleteERIC HOLDER AND THE WHOLE CORRUPT OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SHOULD ALSO BE ARRESTED FOR OPERATION FAST AND FURIOUS
ReplyDeleteThere is no narco spill over from Mexico to the US. Were the city owned vehicles purchased with stimulus mone?
ReplyDeleteSeriously,is that how we set an example for a gun smuggling mayor in the states.51 months for the mayor!!! How about 20 f...kin years!!! Please stop calling this a drug war. It might be in mx but It's a joke here.
ReplyDeletei wonder how much time the atf agents that gave the cds guns are gonna get?????? that corruption is already here amigos. i think the only thing we taught the mexican cartels is how to use the media to make people think everything is great. or better yet to sway the vote.
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly, they're all going Down Like FLIES!
They have suddenly been catching so many criminals that it makes me think that USA technology is being used to ... Catch Some Flies.
Why have so many Mexicans gone so far as to MURDER THEIR OWN COUNTRYMEN? When they capture and interrogate those involved in High Crimes do the authorities ask such questions to these captured "S.E.L.L. - O.U.T.S.?" =
"We will give you a ton of money IF YOU TAKE ORDERS AND ARE WILLING TO MURDER YOUR OWN MEXICAN NEIGHBORS, ¿SOUND LIKE A GOOD DEAL OR NOT?"
- 'Ok, The PAY IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO B.E.T.R.A.Y. ANYBODY IN MEXICO, EVEN BABIES, I'll kill them too, JUST 'PAY ME WHAT I DE$ERVE FOR m.y. e.f.f.o.r.t.s'
My final comment? LET US GIVE THEM WHAT THEY ALL DESERVE!!
But yet, THIS MADNESS AND BETRAYAL HAS A GENESIS & WE HAVE TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM SO THAT EVEN DESPERATE PEOPLE DON'T GET LURED INTO DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR TOWARDS OTHERS AND ESPECIALLY TOWARD ORDINARY CITIZENS !!
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More than four thousand pounds of weed confiscated this week off the California Coast. Looks like Sinaloa is taking alot of risks.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jun/12/several-people-arrested-after-panga-boat-found/
Its so obvious, You think our american govt. will tell the real facts. Obama is just a puppet. I was always thinkin of becoming or at least working for the CIA , but just using pyshcology i know what will be the outcome. Its not just the Americas, include the other nations as well too. An election doesnt matter, even with a change.
ReplyDeleteMixtec Zuke
4 years and 3 months is ALL this criminal received? That is pathetic! He smuggled way, way more than 200 firearms! What about all the ones he didnt get busted for? This is a tragic injustice!-CHIVO
ReplyDeletethats it?!?!?!?! 4 years 3 months for arming a cartel for a war and how many killed w/ those weapons???? they should send these u.s. govt employees to prison for life!
ReplyDeleteI love the outrage on the board. The problem is that the public at large is kept in the dark and these cookie sentences are passed out. I could get more time for buying cocaine then this jerkoff received for supplying auto weapons.
ReplyDelete"I could get more time for buying cocaine then this jerkoff received for supplying auto weapons"
ReplyDeleteRight on brother,no wonder inner city kids feel bitter and pissed off.A shoplifter would get harder time than this,man,white collar crime moves millions every day,,but get caught slangin,and i'm doin hard time in jug.My shit aint killin no-one,and this dude is moving automatic weapons?No-wonder people don't give a fuck anymore.
The photo is Angelo Vega, the former Columbus police chief.
ReplyDelete"The most fault is on us for.loving drugs too much"
ReplyDeleteOh stop talkin shit you clown,go and sing"cumbya my lord"Do you think some of the fault could be with the people who run around with AKs/ARs,and dismembering anyone they feel like?Or is that the fault of the US too.Dayuuuuum you is stupid.
no matter what,they will always bring in people for the dirty,work.plata talks.it didn't start or end,here.the final chapter, has not been,written.la linea,is for real.i don't care ,what you people think.the Juarez cartel,is king.go to Juarez,and talk your loud,shit.carlos c. gutierrez,former deming,n.m.,resident.eat it,haters.
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