SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A 24-year-old Laredo man pleaded guilty in federal court in San Antonio to four conspiracy counts related to his role in a weapons trafficking organization supporting the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN). Gerardo Rafael Perez Jr., also known as Jerry, coordinated the illegal acquisition and smuggling of hundreds of firearms from the U.S. to Mexico.
According to court documents, Perez and his network of straw purchasers obtained firearms, including FNH SCAR rifles, Barrett .50 caliber rifles, and other high-capacity weapons, from gun stores and unlicensed dealers in San Antonio and other Texas cities. They also acquired FightLite MCR belt-fed upper receivers, which enhance the firepower of standard AR-15 rifles. Perez directed the trafficking and illegal export of these weapons without the necessary licenses, stated the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Communications from Perez’s cell phone revealed instructions to straw purchasers on specific firearms to buy and sellers to approach across Texas. In one instance, a straw purchaser bought six firearms in San Antonio for nearly $50,000 in cash, intended for delivery to Mexico. Perez was also found to have obliterated serial numbers from trafficked guns to prevent tracking, according to the press release…