Texas Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Illegally Attempting to Export Weapons

Jose Rafael Vasquez, a resident of Dallas, was sentenced on Dec. 15 to 63 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for attempting to export firearms, firearm magazines and thousands of rounds of ammunition to Mexico, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas said. Vasquez attempted to leave the U.S. at the Laredo Port of Entry into Mexico in October 2020, when law enforcement found bundles of goods zip-tied to the bottom of his vehicle containing ammunition. After further inspecting the car, border officials found three AK-47 rifles, eight semi-automatic handguns, 16 handgun magazines and over 4,700 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition inside the vehicle, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.