CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A federal jury in Del Rio convicted Bobby Brandon Galvan, 30, also known as "Puravidarecia," on one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of straw purchase of firearms. Galvan was affiliated with the La Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel and purchased dozens of weapons that were later trafficked to Mexico.
An investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found that between Sept. 16, 2023, and April 14, 2024, Galvan purchased 24 AK-47-style firearms, all of which ended up in Toluca, Mexico, for use by Mexican cartels.
Among the weapons Galvan straw purchased was an AK-47 rifle that was later recovered after it was used in a shootout between cartel members and Mexican law enforcement.
In his role within the criminal operation, Galvan purchased the firearms, attempted to obliterate their serial numbers, and transferred the weapons to co-conspirators who then trafficked them to Mexico.
At trial, the leaders of the criminal conspiracy were identified as Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, also known as "El Pez," and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, also known as "El Fresa."
On Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State officially designated La Nueva Familia Michoacana as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity.
"This trial is significant in that, not only did it trace two dozen rifles from a Texas town to a Mexican cartel, but it is one of the first trials in the nation to involve a conspiracy to traffic firearms under the relatively new firearms trafficking statute," U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas said.
"I want to extend my congratulations and gratitude to our federal prosecutors and all of our law enforcement partners who contributed to this well-deserved result. I also want to thank the members of the jury for fulfilling their honorable duty as Americans. Let this verdict show that the Western District of Texas and the American People will not stand idly by and allow anyone to arm our adversaries in violation of federal law," Simmons said.
"This conviction underscores ATF and our law enforcement partners' unwavering commitment to stopping the flow of illegal firearms from our communities into the hands of violent cartel organizations," ATF Houston Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel said. "The defendant's actions directly fueled armed violence in Mexico, and we will not allow our communities to be exploited as a source of weapons for transnational criminal groups. ATF and our partners will continue to identify, investigate, and dismantle these trafficking networks at every level."
"Homeland Security Investigations is committed to dismantling the networks that supply weapons to violent transnational criminal organizations," Acting Special Agent in Charge John A Pasciucco of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio said. "This conviction demonstrates the impact of coordinated federal law enforcement efforts to disrupt the flow of firearms fueling cartel violence in Mexico. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who threaten the safety of our communities and our national security by trafficking firearms across our borders."
"I would like to highlight the ATF's critical role in our Homeland Security Task Force efforts, bringing specialized expertise to the firearms trafficking component of this case," Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI San Antonio Field Office said. "Through the HSTF framework, and working alongside FBI Kansas, FBI's Law Enforcement Attache Office in Mexico City, and Homeland Security Investigations, we leveraged actionable intelligence and combined our respective expertise to disrupt weapons trafficking networks tied to La Nueva Familia Michoacana. HSTF collaboration remains central to our mission as we work to identify and dismantle transnational criminal organizations—wherever they operate—and hold them accountable."
Galvan was arrested July 29, 2025, and indicted Aug. 20, 2025. He is one of 26 defendants indicted on charges ranging from firearms trafficking to illegal alien smuggling to money laundering. Eighteen of the indicted co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Galvan faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison for each of the two counts. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses for the Western District of Texas presides over the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Brett Miner are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime. Homeland Security Task Forces were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159.
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