A Central Texas man affiliated with a Mexican cartel has been convicted on gun trafficking charges for his role in a operation that involved more than two dozen people moving guns into Mexico, federal officials said Monday.<\/p>\n
Bobby Brandon Galvan, 30, of Dale, was found guilty on two counts of firearms trafficking and faces up to 40 years in federal prison for each charge, according to Justin Simmons, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas.<\/p>\n
Dale is an unincorporated area in\u00a0Caldwell County east of Lockhart.\u00a0According to federal court documents, some of the guns were purchased at gun shows in Bastrop and San Marcos<\/p>\n
A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives\u00a0investigation found that over about seven months,\u00a0Galvan, also known as “Puravidarecia,” bought two dozen\u00a0AK-47-style guns,\u00a0all of which ended up in Toluca, Mexico for use by Mexican cartels.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Footage shows Bexar County sheriff had green light in downtown crash<\/a><\/p>\n One of those weapons was recovered after it was used in a shootout between Mexican law enforcement and the La Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel, Simmons’ office said in a news release.<\/p>\n Galvan bought the guns, attempted to remove their serial numbers, then transferred them to others who trafficked them to Mexico, officials said.<\/p>\n He was one of 26 people indicted on charges related to the operation. Federal officials say 18 of those defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.<\/p>\n Galvan’s actions “directly fueled armed violence in Mexico,” ATF Houston Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel said in a written statement. “We will not allow our communities to be exploited as a source of weapons for transnational criminal groups.”<\/p>\n Subscribe<\/p>\n