PECOS, Texas —
Two Pecos men were sentenced in federal court Tuesday for crimes related to the theft and resale of guns.
According to court documents, Nathaniel Elijah Saenz, 19, and Raul Ivan Duarte, 31, were part of a local ring of criminals who were breaking into cars to steal guns and sell them.
Saenz was sentenced to 63 months in prison for one count of sale of a stolen firearm. Duarte was sentenced to 30 months for one count of possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Texas Department of Public Safety special agents and Pecos Police Department investigators bought guns undercover several times during the investigation before executing search warrants and arresting the two men on March 8, 2022.
“This case is a clear reminder of our commitment to collaborate with our law enforcement partners at every level to stop the illicit selling of stolen firearms and to hold firearm traffickers responsible,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas.
A third defendant, Juaquin Osbaldo Munoz, 20, was sentenced on May 22 to 57 months behind bars for one count of sale of a stolen firearm. Munoz has been in federal custody since his arrest on April 10, 2022.