Felons Receive Maximum Sentence for Illegal Possession of Machine Gun

LAREDO, TX—Jose Eduardo Munoz, 28, and Alfredo Israel Zendejo Jr., 22, both Laredo residents and convicted felons, have each been sentenced to serve 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a machine gun, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.

Munoz pleaded guilty on November 17, 2011, while Zendejo pleaded guilty on December 17, 2011. At their respective plea hearings, both admitted that on or about July 13, 2011, they delivered and sold a fully automatic Cobry M‐11, 9mm submachine gun to undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agents for $1,000 and a silencer for an additional $200. The payment was made in cash at the time Munoz and Zendejo handed agents the machine gun and silencer.

Zendejo also negotiated delivering four hand grenades for sale to the undercover agents, which were to be delivered by Munoz. Munoz, however, was in an automobile accident on the way to meet Zendejo and the undercover agent to purportedly deliver the four grenades.

United States District Judge Alia Moses presided over the sentencing hearing and handed down the 120-month term, the maximum sentence allowed by law. Following completion of their sentences, each will serve a term of supervised release of three years. Both defendants were also fined $2,000.

The investigation leading to the charges in this case was conducted by the ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, and the Laredo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.

Biological Attack Investigator’s Handbook

“Criminal and Epidemiological Investigation Handbook, Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the USDepartment of Justice, and the US Army Soldier Biological ChemicalCommand. 2006.”

Available At:
http://www2a.cdc.gov/phlp/docs/CrimEpiHandbook2006.pdf

Book Excerpt:
“Current information indicates that, regardless of location, American assets and citizens will continue to be targets of terrorist activities. Terrorists have demonstrated their willingness to employ non-traditional weapons to achieve their ends. One such class of non-traditional weapons is biological agents. Biological agents pose new challenges to both law enforcement and public health officials in their efforts to minimize the effects of a biological attack and apprehend those responsible for the attack. In the past, it was not uncommon for law enforcement and public health officials to conduct separate and independent investigations. However, a biological attack requires a high level of cooperation between these two disciplines to achieve their respective objectives of identifying the biological agent, preventing the spread of the disease, preventing public panic, and apprehending those responsible. The lack of mutual awareness and understanding, as well as the absence of established communication procedures, could hinder the effectiveness of law enforcement’s and public health's separate, but often overlapping, investigations. Due to the continued likelihood of biological attacks, the effective use of all resources during a biological incident will be critical to ensure an efficient and appropriate response.

The purpose of this handbook is as follows:

To provide an introduction to epidemiological and criminal terrorist investigations so public health and law enforcement personnel have a better understanding of each other's information requirements and investigative procedures.

To identify potential conflicts law enforcement and public health personnel will encounter during their respective biological incident investigations and to provide potential solutions that can be adapted to meet the needs of the various jurisdictions and agencies throughout the United States.

To enhance the appreciation and understanding of each discipline's expertise by all parties.”

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.