CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Two men are heading to federal prison for decades after selling machine guns and cocaine out of a house in Laredo, Texas.
Visiting U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle sentenced 34-year-old Carlos Alberto Garcia-Guajardo to 495 months—just over 41 years—behind bars. A jury found him guilty on 12 charges following a trial in December 2025. His partner, 32-year-old Fernando Patino Jr. of Laredo, pleaded guilty before the trial and received a 30-year sentence, which will be followed by five years of supervised release.
The investigation started in January 2025 when undercover agents bought cocaine and machine guns from the two men. Patino and Garcia-Guajardo used these sales to try and set up even more deals.
During the sentencing, the court learned Garcia-Guajardo acted as the group's leader and broker. Lemelle pointed out that Garcia-Guajardo tried to live a "gangster" lifestyle, even keeping a "Scarface" poster in his bedroom. The judge also highlighted the massive amount of drugs and weapons involved, as well as the danger the men posed to the community.
Evidence showed the men didn't just sell weapons and drugs—they also fired guns randomly in their neighborhood and out of moving cars. In some cases, they even had a minor test-fire machine guns. Videos captured Garcia-Guajardo and Patino drinking heavily and using drugs during these incidents.
Police raided a home on Monterrey Street in Laredo on Jan. 31, 2025. Inside, they found Garcia-Guajardo and 27-year-old Jose Guadalupe Hernandez-Garza. Officers also discovered crack cocaine, cash, scales and several guns stored right next to children's belongings.
Garcia-Guajardo, a Mexican national, was also convicted of illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported twice, most recently in July 2024. Because of his status, federal law banned him from having guns or ammunition. He and Hernandez-Garza both face deportation after they finish their prison sentences.
Hernandez-Garza admitted to illegally having a gun and ammunition and was also sent to prison.
Patino and Garcia-Guajardo will stay in custody until they are transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
Several agencies worked together on the case, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Laredo Police Department. They had help from Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Anti-Gang Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tory R. Sailer and Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the men.
The arrests were part of Operation Take Back America, a national Department of Justice effort aimed at stopping cartels, transnational criminal groups and violent crime.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
