Three teenagers from South Texas have been taken into custody and charged with various border-related crimes, including human smuggling, making terroristic threats, and possessing modified firearms.
On Monday, the McAllen Police Department announced the arrest of two teens, aged 17 and 18, on charges of making terroristic threats, possessing controlled substances, and unlawful possession of firearms. Alan Ronaldo Zamarron, 17, of McAllen, faces charges of making a terroristic threat and possessing a 9mm pistol with a 30-round magazine. He was arrested on September 6 for allegedly sending threatening messages on social media while in possession of the firearm. Zamarron is currently being held in a juvenile detention center.
Adrian Velasquez, 18, of McAllen, was arrested on Sunday on charges of evading arrest, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a prohibited weapon. According to police, Velasquez was in possession of a.40-caliber Glock handgun with a converter that allowed it to fire automatically. He was also found to be in possession of a fake driver’s license. Velasquez was taken into custody in a parking lot after attempting to flee from detention.
In a separate incident, Luis Gerardo Paz, 17, was arrested on Thursday at a high school in Laredo, Texas, on a warrant for human smuggling. The charges stem from a high-speed car crash on April 19, which involved a vehicle carrying multiple migrants. Paz is being held in the Webb County Jail on a $20,000 bond, charged with smuggling of persons with a likelihood of injury or death. U.S. Border Patrol agents confirmed their involvement in the case.
