Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A McAllen resident has been sentenced for her involvement in gun trafficking, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jazmin Gutierrez, 38, was ordered to serve a 121-month federal prison sentence by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, followed by two years of supervised release. During her sentencing, evidence revealed the extent of the firearms transactions she participated in, along with co-defendant Isai Alpides-Navarrete.
Judge Ramos remarked that the crimes were not isolated events but involved numerous trips for collecting firearms intended for individuals committing serious offenses. Alpides-Navarrete, who resided illegally in the United States, received a similar 121-month sentence for straw purchasing firearms and possessing ammunition as an alien.
The authorities' investigations into the unlawful firearms activity led to Gutierrez's arrest on March 21, 2024. Upon arrest, she was found with multiple firearms, including a 7.62x39mm assault rifle. A search of Alpides-Navarrete's residence uncovered ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and multiple empty pistol boxes.
Gutierrez confessed to buying over 50 firearms from private sellers online, which were later smuggled into Mexico by others. Despite her conviction, she was allowed to remain on bond with the requirement that she surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility at a future date.
This matter resulted from a task force operation targeting high-level criminal organizations and involved several federal agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS Criminal Investigation. The operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is leading the prosecution.
