Texas man pleads guilty to firearm trafficking conspiracy linked to Mexican cartel---

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 24-year-old legal permanent resident has admitted to conspiring to straw purchase a firearm, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Javier Sebastian Vazquez-Ponce confessed to recruiting another individual to buy a .50-caliber semi-automatic rifle on his behalf, knowing it was intended for a drug trafficking organization in Mexico. Authorities identified a suspicious attempt to purchase the rifle with approximately $10,000 in cash on Dec. 2, 2025. Vazquez-Ponce and others crossed into Mexico after placing the order and returned two days later to retrieve the firearm, at which point law enforcement took them into custody.

The investigation uncovered text messages detailing the scheme and additional firearm trafficking activities. Vazquez-Ponce admitted the purchase money came from the Gulf Cartel in Mexico. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos will impose sentencing on May 13, where Vazquez-Ponce faces up to 25 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bird and Izaak Bruce are prosecuting the case.