Medford man gets 3 years in Mexican gun smuggling case
Published 4:25 pm Tuesday, January 25, 2011
MINNEAPOLIS — A 37-year-old Medford man who admitted he illegally purchased more than 100 firearms and smuggled them into Mexico has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Authorities say some of the weapons were found during investigations into Mexican drug cartels.
Paul Giovanni De La Rosa was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Minneapolis. He earlier pleaded guilty to making false statements on a firearms application.
Authorities say he admitted to making illegal gun purchases between 2007 and 2009, and routinely smuggling the weapons into Mexico. He was arrested in Texas while trying to return to the U.S.
His attorney did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
Authorities say most illegal guns seized in Mexico can be traced back to the U.S. More than 34,600 people have died in drug-related killings in Mexico in four years.
