Laredo man sentenced to prison for producing ‘ghost guns’ to Mexican drug cartels

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - A Laredo man is sentenced to prison for his role in producing and illegally exporting fully automatic firearms to Mexico for the use of drug cartels.

Thirty-seven-year-old Jaime Jesus Esquivel pleaded guilty on June 6 to possession of a machine gun, possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

During the operation, authorities executed two search warrants and seized privately manufactured AR type lower receivers, 7.62mm rifle, a 12 gauge shotgun and privately short barrel fully automatic rifle along with 950 rounds of ammo.

The weapons were ghost guns, a term that is used for privately made firearms that authorities say he assembled using various components of combat weapons and a 3D printed firearm.

Esquivel will spend ten years in prison following three years of supervised release.

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