200 Guns for a Cartel: Three Smugglers Get 39.5 Years in Del Rio

DEL RIO, Texas — Three firearms traffickers were sentenced in federal court in Del Rio on Tuesday to a combined 474 months in prison for their roles in a conspiracy that smuggled more than 200 weapons into Mexico for a drug cartel, prosecutors announced.

Read the U.S. Attorney's Office release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/firearms-smugglers-sentenced-del-rio-combined-395-years-federal-prison

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced the sentences, according to the release.

Edgar Josue Montelongo-Loera, 39, of Dallas, was identified as one of the traffickers responsible for moving firearms to Mexico, according to the release.

Reymundo Hernandez-Nino, 41, a Mexican national, was also identified as responsible for trafficking firearms to Mexico, according to the release.

Kenia Lizbeth Montelongo, 31, is Montelongo-Loera's sister and Hernandez-Nino's wife, according to the release.

Straw Purchases, Laredo Crossings, And WhatsApp Messages

According to court documents cited in the release, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received information in August 2024 that Montelongo had purchased multiple firearms, including seven .380 caliber pistols and a .22 caliber pistol, between May 17, 2024, and July 5, 2024.

In the days following each purchase, Montelongo crossed into Mexico through Laredo, according to the release.

Montelongo-Loera, who had displayed multiple firearms in his social media profile pictures, was also recorded crossing in the same vehicle, according to the release.

ATF agents reviewed WhatsApp conversations from August 2024 in which Montelongo-Loera said his "buddy" could get requested firearms and that he had someone who could transport them, according to the release.

Agents reviewed additional WhatsApp conversations in November 2024 in which Montelongo-Loera again discussed his firearm trafficking operation, according to the release.

Eight Handguns at the Border, A San Antonio Search, And 24 Firearms Recovered

Montelongo-Loera was arrested on July 14, 2025, after a co-conspirator was found attempting to smuggle eight handguns and 19 magazines into Mexico, according to the release.

Two days later, ATF agents, along with the San Antonio Police Department and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, executed a search warrant at Hernandez-Nino's San Antonio residence, according to the release.

Agents recovered 24 firearms, including handguns, AR-15 style rifles, and a shotgun, according to the release.

ATF also recovered more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition and multiple sets of body armor from the residence, according to the release.

Based on other evidence obtained during the investigation, ATF determined the weapons, ammunition, and accessories were bound for a Mexican drug cartel, according to the release.

Hernandez-Nino and Kenia Lizbeth Montelongo were arrested during the search, according to the release.

Guilty Pleas, Official Statements, And Three Federal Sentences

Montelongo-Loera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms on Feb. 23, according to the release.

Hernandez-Nino pleaded guilty on Feb. 26 to smuggling goods from the United States and alien in possession of a firearm, according to the release.

Kenia Lizbeth Montelongo pleaded guilty on Feb. 26 to smuggling goods from the United States and sale or transfer to a prohibited person, according to the release.

"These three sentencings bring to a close a massive case involving ten conspirators who smuggled more than 200 weapons into Mexico," U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said in the release.

"This investigation demonstrates ATF's unwavering commitment to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling firearms trafficking networks that fuel violence across our borders," ATF Houston Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel said in the release.

On Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses sentenced Montelongo-Loera to 180 months in federal prison, according to the release.

Hernandez-Nino was sentenced to 150 months and Kenia Montelongo was sentenced to 144 months, according to the release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case, according to the release.

The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide federal initiative led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, according to the release.

Anyone with information about firearms trafficking can contact the ATF through its local field offices or tip line.

Sources U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas — Official Press Release, November 12, 2026: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/firearms-smugglers-sentenced-del-rio-combined-395-years-federal-prison