Caldwell County man helped traffic 2 dozen weapons into Mexico: US Attorney

DEL RIO, Texas - A Caldwell County man could spend decades in federal prison for his part in a large-scale cartel firearm trafficking operation.

30-year-old Bobby Brandon Galvan of Dale was convicted of two counts of firearms trafficking.

What they're saying:

Galvan, also known as Puravidarecia, was affiliated with the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel and had straw purchased numerous weapons, according to court documents and evidence at trial.

One of those weapons was an AK-47 recovered after it was used in a shootout between cartel members and Mexican law enforcement.

Image of rifles seized connected to case against Bobby Brandon Galvan (US Attorney's Office)

An ATF investigation revealed that between Sept. 2023 and April 2024, Galvan purchased 24 AK-47 style firearms, and all ended up in Toluca, Mexico in the hands of Mexican cartels. 

He would purchase the firearms, attempt to obliterate their serial numbers, and then give them to co-conspirators that would then traffic them to Mexico.

Galvan was arrested in July 2025, and indicted the following August for one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of straw purchase of firearms. 

Dig deeper:

At trial, the leaders of the criminal conspiracy were identified as Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga aka "El Pez," and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga aka "El Fresa," says the US Attorney's office.

In Feb. 2025, LNFM was officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity by the U.S. Department of State, alongside other cartels like Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Tren de Aragua, Cartel del Golfo, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel del Noreste and Carteles Unidos.

What's next:

Galvan faces up to 40 years in federal prison for each county.

Galvan is one of 26 people indicted on charges ranging from firearms trafficking to illegal alien smuggling to money laundering, says the US Attorney's Office. 18 of them have already pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.