DEL RIO, Texas – A federal grand jury in Del Rio returned an indictment last week charging a Florida man with smuggling firearms into Mexico.
According to court documents, Ivan Sanchez-Jorge, 39, of Clearwater was selected for vehicle inspection by Customs and Border Protection officers (CBPOs) at Eagle Pass on Dec. 3, 2022 and gave multiple negative declarations for weapons, ammunition and currency in excess of $10,000. Upon inspection, CBPOs found and seized a .380 caliber pistol and two 12-gauge shotguns.
Sanchez-Jorge is charged with one count of smuggling goods from the U.S. The defendant is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Dec. 29, 2022 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Collis White of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio Division made the announcement.
HSI and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Brown is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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