EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A Texas resident extradited from Mexico a month ago has pleaded guilty to weapons charges in the U.S.
Jesus Guadalupe Covarrubias on Thursday admitted in U.S. federal district court in Laredo, Texas, to aiding and abetting the acquisition of firearms, while knowingly making false statements.
The investigation stems from a false report made in July 2021 by a man named Jose Gerardo Amaro regarding the purported theft of 10 AK-47 and 20 AR-15 rifles from a ranch in Webb County.
The ranch belonged to Covarrubias, a convicted felon who cannot legally possess firearms, so authorities set up surveillance. A month later, law enforcement officers saw Covarrubias, Amaro and other men load covered items into vehicles parked at a Laredo home owned by Covarrubias. The vehicles then departed to a house owned by Amaro, court records allege.
At that address, authorities report seeing Amaro come out and place an AR-15 rifle into a vehicle. At that point, authorities moved in and began to question Amaro, Covarrubias and a third man. They allegedly received consent to search the property and found several rifles.
In an interview with authorities, Amaro allegedly said Covarrubias instructed him to report the firearms as stolen back in July. Amaro further stated he has purchased 15 of the rifles for Covarrubias and used a credit card belonging to Covarrubias’ businesses to make the purchases.
Covarrubias’ wife, Cynthia Moreno, also was arrested and allegedly admitted buying a Barrett .50-caliber snipper rifle for Covarrubias, records show.
Covarrubias bonded out of jail a short time later and fled to Mexico, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He remained on the lam until Mexican officials turned him over to U.S. authorities in Laredo last Feb. 21.
Covarrubias admitted to being previously convicted of felony theft and thus unable to possess firearms and ammunition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. As part of his guilty plea, he allegedly acknowledged sending others to stores to purchase firearms on his behalf.
Covarrubias faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
“This case is an important reminder to criminals that they may run from justice, but they can’t hide,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas.
Prosecutors didn’t say what Covarrubias had intended to do with the rifles and court records don’t show where the vehicles would be headed to once all the firearms had been loaded onto them back in 2021.
Several individuals named in an October 2021 indictment, along with Covarrubias, also are facing charges in connection with the illegal purchase of guns.
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