South Texas teens face weapons, human smuggling charges

McALLEN, Texas ( Border Report ) — Three South Texas teenagers have been arrested and charged with serious border crimes including charges of human smuggling, making a terroristic threat and possession of illegally altered fully-automatic firearms.

On Monday, McAllen police announced that two teens, ages 17 and 18, had been arrested on charges of being terroristic threats and possessing controlled substances as well as unlawful weapons.

Alan Ronaldo Zamarron, 17, of McAllen, is charged with terroristic threat, and for illegally possessing a 9mm Masterpiece Arms (MPA) Defender pistol that was equipped with a 30-round magazine, police said. He also faces charges of illegal drug possession. Officials say that on Sept. 6, he was arrested for allegedly sending threatening messages via social media with the firearm.

He’s being held in a juvenile detention center, police said.

Adrian Velasquez, 18, of McAllen, was arrested Sunday on charges of evading arrest, and unlawfully carrying weapons and prohibited weapons, police said. This includes allegations that he was in possession of a .40-caliber Glock 22 handgun with a converter that allows the weapon to fire like a machinegun and automatically shoot multiple rounds of ammunition with the pull of a trigger, according to police.

Velasquez also was charged with possessing a fake driver’s license.

Police say he was arrested in a parking lot after fleeing from detention and was showing the Glock handgun in a parking lot.

On Thursday, Luis Gerardo Paz, 17, was arrested Thursday at a high school in the border town of Laredo, Texas, on a warrant for human smuggling.

The charges stem from an April 19 crash that reportedly involved a car that was driving at high speeds carrying several migrants north of Laredo, according to media reports.

Laredo police told KGNS that Paz was involved in the rollover accident.

Paz is being held in the Webb County Jail on a $20,000 bond on charges of smuggling of persons with a likelihood of injury or death, according to jail reports .

U.S. Border Patrol agents confirmed to Border Report on Monday that Texas DPS worked the case.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.

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