Three indicted for providing firearms to Cartel del Noreste

LAREDO, Texas - Three Laredo residents are charged with purchasing firearms for the cartel and transporting them to Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

A federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment against Angela Ruby Ponce, 18, Oscar Axel Flores, 22, and Mario Alberto Tovar, 28. They are expected to appear for their arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga May 2.

The indictment alleges from Jan. 1 through on or about April 2, Ponce, Flores and Tovar conspired with each other in trafficking firearms for the Cartel del Noreste (CDN).

Each are charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods from the United States, trafficking firearms and purchasing firearms directly for the CDN.

On April 2, the trio allegedly went to a federal firearms licensee in Laredo to purchase a semi-automatic rifle. After the purchase, U.S. authorities stopped them as they attempted to leave the United States and head to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, according to the charges.

The criminal complaint originally filed in the case alleges the group was working on behalf of the CDN. The three are believed to have purchased and transported at least 12 firearms to the CDN over the course of several months, according to the charges. The weapons included a variety of handguns and rifles, according to the charges.

The indictment alleges the CDN is a Mexican criminal organization that engages in transnational crime including kidnapping, extortion, vehicle theft, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering. It is headquartered in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and allegedly has influence over other Mexican cities. The CDN uses firearms of various calibers and capabilities to carry out and protect its operations, according to the charges.

For the conspiracy, each faces up to five years in federal prison, while smuggling goods from the United States carries a possible 10-year prison sentence. If convicted of trafficking firearms, they all also face additional sentences of up to 15 years as well as another 25 years for straw purchasing. The latter two are new charges under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw purchasing of firearms. All charges also carry potential fines of up to $250,000.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan L. Oliver is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.