San Antonio, TX — A convicted felon from San Antonio is at the center of a federal gun trafficking investigation after allegedly supplying 21 firearms — including stolen and unregistered weapons — to an undercover agent, according to a federal indictment unsealed this week.
Albert Rene Saucedo, previously convicted of robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle, was arrested as part of a larger Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operation targeting suspected gun traffickers in South Texas.
Federal court documents reveal Saucedo came under surveillance in early May after advertising firearms on social media. On May 12, he allegedly offered to sell a Diamondback DB15 .556-caliber pistol to an undercover ATF agent for $800.
Over the course of five weeks, prosecutors say Saucedo either sold or brokered the sale of 12 shotguns, three semi-automatic rifles, and six handguns, many of which were designed for high-velocity ammunition or fed by large-capacity magazines. One of the weapons was reportedly a short-barreled rifle — a class of firearm that requires registration with the ATF under federal law.
A July 17 indictment filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas charges Saucedo with trafficking firearms, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also seeking the forfeiture of all seized firearms, citing “reasonable cause” to believe some may have been intended for smuggling out of the United States — a growing concern in Texas and Arizona, which lead the nation in guns recovered from crime scenes in Mexico. Between 2020 and 2022, 449 firearms traced back to Bexar County were found in Mexico, according to the Wilson Center.
Saucedo remains in federal custody as the investigation continues.
