Alamdar Hamdani U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A federal grand jury has issued a 14-count indictment against three individuals on charges related to firearms, drug trafficking, and immigration offenses. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The accused include Fernando Patinio, 31, from Laredo, along with Albert Garcia-Guajardo, 32, and Jose Hernandez-Garza, 25. Both Garcia-Guajardo and Hernandez-Garza are identified as illegal aliens residing unlawfully in the United States. They were previously detained based on charges initially filed in a criminal complaint and are set to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge soon.
According to the charges, Patinio and Garcia-Guajardo allegedly sold cocaine and numerous weapons, including machine guns, during an undercover investigation that spanned approximately one month. During an initial transaction involving a pistol, Garcia-Guajardo reportedly indicated that he and Patinio could also provide drugs for sale.
On January 2nd, Patinio and Garcia-Guajardo allegedly sold the first of two machine guns—a model 22 Glock equipped with a machine gun conversion device. In subsequent weeks, they purportedly arranged further sales of cocaine and additional machine guns.
Authorities executed a search warrant on January 31st at the 3000 block of Monterrey Street in Laredo where they found Garcia-Guajardo and Hernandez-Garza along with several more firearms, various narcotics, scales, and ammunition according to the charges.
The charges claim both Garcia-Guajardo and Hernandez-Garza were illegally present in the country; Garcia-Guajardo had been ordered removed twice before—most recently in July 2024—and Hernandez-Garza's B1/B2 visa had expired. As they were not lawfully present in the United States, neither is permitted to possess firearms under these allegations.
Throughout the undercover operation conducted by law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Laredo Police Department among others—they reportedly seized two machine guns eight pistols (one with its serial number filed off), drum-style magazines cocaine crack cocaine marijuana several rounds of .40 S&W caliber rounds plus nine-millimeter caliber rounds too
If convicted under these indictments: Garcia Guajarado alongside Pationio face mandatory minimums starting at thirty years stretching up towards life imprisonment within federal facilities specifically due their involvement regarding conspiracy concerning traffic involving machines-guns amid ongoing drug-trafficking activities utilizing said machinery meanwhile Hernandezgaza faces potential fifteen-year sentence upon conviction stemming solely being deemed unauthorized alien possessing firearm All three defendants could potentially incur fines reaching $250000 each additionally
Assistant US Attorneys Tory R Sailer Brandon Scott Bowling will be prosecuting this case moving forward following thorough investigations spearheaded collectively across multiple branches notably Homeland Security Investigations Border Patrol Immigration Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations Texas Department Public Safety included amongst other partners involved throughout process thus far
It should be noted that an indictment serves merely as formal accusation rather than concrete proof evidence ensuring presumption innocence remains intact until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt through established legal proceedings duly observed accordingly
