Florida Man Charged with Purchasing Guns for Mexican Traffickers

Leesburg, FL - A Central Florida man faces federal charges after investigators allege he purchased numerous firearms intended for transport to Mexico.

According to a complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida, Jose Medina, 48, of Leesburg, bought multiple guns in Central Florida between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, on behalf of others.

Some of these firearms were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) while being smuggled into Mexico.

In one incident in May, CBP officers stopped a man at the Eagle Pass, Texas Port of Entry attempting to enter Mexico with 10 handguns, nine rifles, seven shotguns, 20 magazines, and various ammunition.

Investigators discovered that Medina had purchased one of these guns just nine days prior.

The man carrying the firearms stated he was traveling from Orlando to San Diego, California, and then to Guanajuato, Mexico, an area known for cartel conflicts over territory control, according to the Department of Justice.

In November, CBP officers intercepted another individual at the same port attempting to smuggle five guns into Mexico, two of which were bought by Medina less than two weeks earlier.

Records from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed that Medina purchased 82 guns in 2023, spending a total of $42,085—an amount exceeding his reported annual income.

The Department of Justice also noted that another firearm purchased by an associate of Medina was recently traced electronically by Mexican law enforcement using the ATF’s e-Trace system.

Medina has been charged with one count of knowingly making a materially false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and one count of causing a Federal Firearm Licensee to maintain false information in its official records.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the false statement charge and five years for the record-keeping charge.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Nowalk from the Middle District of Florida is prosecuting the case.