A South Texas man has been sentenced to almost 8 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a weapons charge for trying to smuggle weapons to Mexico's Zeta drug cartel.
A U.S. Attorney's statement says Richard John Medina received the 93-month sentence Wednesday in federal court in Laredo. A federal agent testified Wednesday that Medina had smuggled firearms and grenades into Mexico for the Zetas.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered the 40-year-old Laredo man to remain in custody pending transfer to a federal prison.
Medina, who also was known as "El Guero," could have received a 10-year prison term for his Dec. 10 guilty plea to being a convicted felon possessing multiple firearms and grenades. He was previously convicted of marijuana possession in Williamson County, near Austin.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.