23-year-old Miguel Tapia-Barcenas, a Legal Permanent Resident from Winnsboro, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for smuggling firearms, ammunition, and other goods from the U.S. into Mexico.
On July 14, 2022, Tapia-Barcenas, traveling through the Del Rio Port of Entry, falsely declared that he was not carrying firearms, ammunition, or currency exceeding $10,000. However, a search of his vehicle and trailer by Customs and Border Protection officers uncovered four semiautomatic pistols, 2,688 rounds of ammunition, and several magazines. Tapia-Barcenas later admitted that he had been paid to smuggle the firearms into Mexico and had done so on two previous occasions.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations and CBP, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayvee Rhoda prosecuting the case.