McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) -- A federal judge in South Texas has sentenced two men to prison for trafficking firearms and smuggling goods from the United States, U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei said.

Esteban Rios Reyes, 35, a legal permanent resident of Silverhill, Alabama, and Alex Santos Lopez, 22, a U.S. citizen residing in Oaxaca, Mexico, both pleaded guilty to the charges.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane, of the Southern District of Texas, sentenced Santos to 90 months and Rios to serve 87 months in federal prison, Ganjei said.

Rios faces deportation after serving his term.

Both were part of an organization that exported weapons and coordinated across several states for several months, according to court testimony in McAllen.

Authorities say on Sept. 6, 2023, Santos attem

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