Jaime Jesus Esquivel, a 37-year-old resident of Laredo, has been given a sentence of 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. This judgment was passed in response to his involvement in various criminal activities, including possession of a machine gun, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine. On June 6, Esquivel pleaded guilty to these charges, admitting his role in producing and illegally exporting fully automatic firearms to Mexico for the benefit of drug cartels.
Similarly, Jose Abraham Nicanor, aged 34 and from Houston, has received a prison term of five years for his unlawful actions related to the purchase and trafficking of firearms. Nicanor had faced 13 counts in total, and after a three-day trial, he was found guilty on all charges. Additionally, he was convicted for possessing a firearm subsequent to a previous felony conviction for armed robbery.
As part of the covert operation, law enforcement authorities carried out four controlled transactions involving cocaine and fully automatic rifles of the AR type. These firearms were classified as ghost guns, a commonly used term for privately manufactured firearms that lack any identifying marks or indications of their origin. Esquivel was responsible for assembling and distributing these weapons.
Esquivel also constructed the firearms using various components from combat weapons, such as Colt M4 parts, along with a 3D-printed polymer drop-in auto sear or machine gun conversion device (MGCD) for AR-type firearms. An MGCD refers to any part specifically designed and intended solely for the purpose of converting a firearm into a machine gun.
Law enforcement officials carried out two search warrants and confiscated privately-produced AR-type lower receivers, components of firearms, tools for manufacturing firearms, 950 rounds of various types of ammunition, a 7.62mm rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, and an unregistered short-barrel fully automatic rifle that was privately manufactured and lacks any identifiable markings. Additionally, they discovered methamphetamines, cocaine, and a 3D printer.
As a convicted felon, he is now prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Esquivel will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) facility.