TUCSON, Ariz. - Last week, Jorge Armando Lopez-Espinoza, 42, a Mexican citizen, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 46 months in prison for attempting to smuggle ammunition from the United States into Mexico.
In May of 2020, Lopez-Espinoza conspired with others to smuggle 8,000 rounds of ammunition in his tractor trailer from Nogales, Arizona to Mexico. Law enforcement agents were able to intercept the shipments of ammunition before Lopez-Espinoza acquired them. On May 14, 2020, Lopez-Espinoza picked up the boxes he believed contained the 8,000 rounds of ammunition, hid them in his tractor trailer, and attempted to enter Mexico through the Nogales Port of Entry. Lopez-Espinoza later admitted he believed he was smuggling ammunition in the boxes, expected to be paid for doing so, and had previously smuggled ammunition into Mexico in exchange for payment.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case, with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Angela W. Woolridge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 20-2715-001-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021- 033_Lopez-Espinoza
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
