DEL RIO, Texas – A federal grand jury in Del Rio returned an indictment last week charging a Mexican national with smuggling goods from the United States and possessing a firearm.
On Dec. 4, 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers encountered Santos Lozano-Martinez, 36, at the Camino Real International Bridge Number Two in Eagle Pass. During the inspection of Lozano-Martinez’s vehicle, a firearm and ammunition were discovered. Lozano-Martinez is accused of illegally possessing and smuggling from the U.S. into Mexico an Anderson AM-15 rifle, 20 rounds of 30.06 caliber Winchester ammunition, 50 rounds of .45 caliber Winchester ammunition and 131 rounds of .223 caliber Remington ammunition.
Lozano-Martinez is charged with one count of smuggling goods from the United States and one count of being an alien in possession of a firearm. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance on Dec. 29 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 on the count of smuggling goods from the U.S. and up to 15 years of imprisonment on the count of alien in possession of a firearm. 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; Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio Division; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Dallas Division, made the announcement.
HSI, CBP and ATF are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bird and Alex Brown are 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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