A man living illegally in Texas was caught purchasing thousands of rounds of ammunition for a Mexican cartel, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

Charbel Garza Macias, who was residing in a border city, pleaded guilty on October 8, 2024, to illegally possessing ammunition. His arrest followed a traffic stop where authorities found 4,800 rounds in his vehicle, reports Fox News.

“Following a traffic stop, a search resulted in the discovery of approximately 4,800 rounds of .223/5.56 caliber ammunition in the vehicle. At the time of his arrest, Macias admitted he was hired to purchase approximately 20,000 rounds of ammunition to be smuggled into Mexico. He claimed the ammunition was for the CDN operating in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico,” the DOJ said in its statement.

Macias has been sentenced to over five years in federal prison. Officials said he will be deported after completing his sentence.

“This defendant’s goal was to get this ammunition to Mexico and, if he had succeeded, would have contributed to the cartels’ ongoing campaign of brutality,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei stated. “Those who work to arm, supply, fund or otherwise aid these organizations take notice; you are going to be found and prosecuted.”

The investigation began on July 16, 2024, when Homeland Security Investigations, the Laredo Police Department, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted surveillance in a Laredo parking lot near the Texas-Mexico border.

Prosecutors say Macias tried to evade law enforcement after leaving the area but was eventually stopped. A search of his vehicle revealed 4,800 rounds of .223/5.56 caliber ammunition. Macias later admitted he had been hired by the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) to buy 20,000 rounds to be smuggled into Mexico.

“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood,” the DOJ writes.