McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — A Mexican national has been sentenced in McAllen to two years in federal prison for attempting to smuggle multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition into Mexico from South Texas, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani said.

Jose De Jesus Pena Dieguez, 68, pleaded guilty on March 27 to trying to smuggle the firearms and ammo on a vehicle roof rack. And it wasn’t the first time he had exported firearms to Mexico, according to court testimony.

Dieguez tried to enter Mexico on Jan. 11 through the Progreso International Bridge, which leads from Progreso, Texas, to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, with the firearms on a roof rack of a Nissan Xterra, Hamdani said.

A search of the vehicle by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers turned up 16 firearms, 31 firearm magazines and over 800 rounds of ammunition, he said.

“Dieguez potentially put lives at risk for his own personal gain – intending to profit by selling firearms illegally smuggled out of the United States,” Hamdani said in March when Dieguez plead guilty. “These crimes not only affect our residents, they also endanger innocent Mexican citizens.

The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods Program to reduce violent crimes, including gun violence.

Dieguez faced up to 10 years in prison, but was sentenced to 24 months and three years supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane of the Southern District of Texas in McAllen.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.