The Northern District of Texas's U.S. Attorney's Office recently announced that a mother and her daughter have received a combined sentence of 18 months for acquiring guns on behalf of a member of a Mexican drug cartel. The press release is from Nov. 16.
Cassandra Gonzalez and her daughter, Imajah Tierra Cervantes, faced legal consequences for their involvement in illegal firearm transactions linked to a Mexican drug cartel, according to the press release. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas announced their sentence of “a combined 18 months in federal prison”. The release states that Gonzalez was found guilty of making false statements during a gun purchase, receiving a six-month sentence, while Cervantes admitted to firearm “straw purchasing,” and received a “12 months and one-day” sentence.
According to the release, the case unfolded when Gonzalez tried to buy a gun in Lubbock, Texas, from a licensed firearm dealer. Reportedly, she falsely claimed on the official “ATF Form 4473” that the firearm was for her own use and additionally provided an incorrect residential address. Agents from the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives” (ATF) discovered the discrepancy in her address, the release states, and were told that Gonzalez would be returning to the store to complete the purchase. The release states that when Ms. Gonzalez came back with Ms. Cervantes, the agents intervened, seizing the rifle and initiating an investigation.
During interrogation, the release states, Gonzalez initially insisted the rifle was for her personal use, despite the inconsistencies in her statement. However, Cervantes disclosed that they had been paid by a man in Dallas, known to be involved with a drug cartel in Mexico, to buy and deliver the firearm. She also reportedly confessed to previously delivering a gun to the same individual, aware that it would be used for drug trafficking. Confronted with her daughter's confession, the release states that Gonzalez admitted to lying on the form, acknowledging her intent to buy the gun for someone else. According to the release, this case was investigated by the ATF's Dallas Field Division – Lubbock Resident Agency and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McLeod.
