California Man and Tucson Woman Each Sentenced to 4 Years Prison for Smuggling Ammunition into Mexico

     TUCSON, Ariz. – On May 25, 2018, Miguel Ochoa-Ruiz, 39, of Concord, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge Frank R. Zapata to 48 months’ (4 years) imprisonment.  Ochoa-Ruiz had been previously been found guilty following a trial of smuggling goods from the United States and conspiracy.  Ochoa-Ruiz’s co-defendant, Ana Guadalupe Carillo-Villa, 23, of Tucson, Ariz., had also previously been sentenced to a total of 48 months’ imprisonment by U.S. Chief District Court Judge Raner C. Collins, after pleading guilty to smuggling goods from the United States, conspiracy, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

     On July 7, 2016, Ochoa-Ruiz purchased 2,000 rounds of rifle ammunition and 248 high-capacity rifle magazines in Phoenix.  He and Carillo-Villa transported these items to Nogales, Ariz., where Carillo-Villa attempted to smuggle them across the border into Mexico.  Customs and Border Protection officers stopped Carillo-Villa at the Port of Entry and intercepted the ammunition and magazines in her vehicle.  Ochoa-Ruiz returned to Phoenix the next day and purchased an additional 11,000 rounds of ammunition, which he again drove to Nogales in attempt to smuggle it into Mexico.  Law enforcement agents stopped Ochoa-Ruiz before he attempted to leave the United States and seized the ammunition.  Evidence obtained in the subsequent investigation established that Ochoa-Ruiz and Carillo-Villa had conspired to smuggle ammunition into Mexico on at least four prior occasions. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The prosecution was handled by Angela W. Woolridge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.

CASE NUMBER:                   CR-16-1475-TUC-FRZ

RELEASE NUMBER:           2018-072_Ochoa-Ruiz

# # #

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.