A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned a twelve-count indictment against an Amarillo man for conspiracy to provide firearms to the Sinaloa Cartel and three others charged with related crimes on June 25, according to a July 21 announcement by United States Attorney Ryan Raybould.
Loyd Walter Hall, 27, of Amarillo, is charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for importation into the United States, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, several counts of providing false material statements to a firearms dealer, and conspiracy to straw purchase and traffic firearms. Jesus Quezada Meza, 30, a Mexican national living in Dumas, Texas; Omar Velasquez, 44, of Utah; and Catlynn Ann Townsend, 29, of Amarillo are also facing related charges. The indictment alleges that from 2024 through 2026 Hall and his co-conspirators maintained contact with a member of the Sinaloa Cartel in Chihuahua, Mexico. Hall allegedly provided firearms as well as technical know-how and guidance on evading U.S. law enforcement despite being aware that the cartel is designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
“Every firearm trafficked from the United States to a cartel strengthens its ability to terrorize communities, secure drug operations, engage in corruption, and commit international fuel theft,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This case highlights my office’s commitment to dismantling all the cartels’ criminal networks. We won’t stop until the cartels and those who aid and abet them are completely eradicated.” Brian Garner, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Dallas Field Division, said: “The allegations in this indictment describe not only the illegal trafficking of firearms to a designated foreign terrorist organization but also efforts to provide the Sinaloa Cartel with guidance on bypassing U.S. firearms laws and avoiding law enforcement detection… Individuals who knowingly arm violent criminal organizations… threaten the safety and security of communities on both sides of the border.” Travis Pickard from Homeland Security Investigations added: “This indictment demonstrates… our resolve to hold accountable those who traffic firearms and provide material support… HSI will continue…to ensure that those who endanger American lives face justice.”
Each defendant has made an initial appearance in court. If convicted on all charges, Hall faces up to life imprisonment; Meza and Velasquez each face up to fifteen years; Townsend faces up to five years.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF) along with Homeland Security Investigations led this investigation, assisted by FBI agents as well as Amarillo Police Department officers.
This case falls under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159 aimed at eliminating criminal cartels operating within or impacting U.S. interests including human smuggling rings, transnational gangs, or organizations engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children.
An indictment is merely an allegation—not evidence—and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas covers approximately ninety-six thousand square miles serving about eight million residents across northern Texas; it prosecutes federal crimes, manages civil litigation, employs around one hundred assistant attorneys plus staff, maintains offices throughout Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Amarillo, and Abilene, and promotes community trust through outreach programs according to its official website.