A 26-year-old man from San Juan, named Jamez Aaron Sandoval, has been given a 10-year prison sentence for having destructive devices and using a firearm to aid in drug trafficking. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced this in a press release. Sandoval, who acknowledged his affiliation with the Westside gang, entered a guilty plea on September 19.
U.S. Chief District Judge Randy Crane handed down the sentence, which consists of three years of supervised release after imprisonment. In the courtroom, it came to light that Sandoval had tried to construct a homemade grenade, carried a firearm during a grenade transaction, and documented himself shooting fully automatic weapons. Judge Crane pointed out that Sandoval encouraged violence through his social media posts, which featured someone firing a firearm with a machinegun conversion device at law enforcement.
On August 1, law enforcement apprehended Sandoval for acquiring two grenade-style destructive devices from an undercover agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Upon searching his residence, they discovered cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and firearms. It is worth noting that Sandoval had previously sold machinegun conversion devices to law enforcement prior to his attempt to procure grenades.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Sandoval had been using a firearm found in his home to safeguard himself while engaging in drug trafficking operations. At present, he is being held in custody and will soon be transferred to a facility managed by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
This case was investigated by the ATF, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Alamo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan handled the prosecution as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland outlined this initiative in May 2021 with the goal of reducing violent crime. The program emphasizes the importance of building community trust, providing support to violence prevention organizations, establishing strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating the outcomes achieved.
