First Defendant in Gun Smuggling Conspiracy Sentenced to Four Years

On Thursday, Judge Robert Brack sentenced the first defendant in a conspiracy involving smuggling guns to Mexican drug cartels to nearly four years in prison.

On Wednesday at a federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico Vincente “Tito” Carreon was sentenced to 46 months in prison by Brack. The judge also ordered that Carreon have three years of supervised release following his sentence.

Although Carreon was not a ringleader in the conspiracy he was observed at a house in Columbus, NM concealing 20 9mm pistols that were later stored in luggage and transported to a bus station in El Paso, Texas. Carreon helped dispose of the packaging for 10 more 9mm pistols. He pleaded guilty in July 2011.

Former Columbus police chief Angelo Vega, former mayor Eddie Espinoza and former village trustee Blas “Woody” Gutierrez are all in federal custody and awaiting sentencing. Vega faces the shortest sentence of the three, looking at only 34 years in prison, while Espinoza could be sentenced to 50 years and Gutierrez faces up to 280 years.

For updates stay tuned to Guns.com. For more information on the sentencing of Carreon or any other defendants find the original article in the Chicago Tribune. For all breaking gun news stay tuned to Guns.com’s news feeds.

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