Presidio resident Tiburcio “Butch” Acosta pleaded guilty July 7 in federal court to felony smuggling charges after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in a case tied to allegations that firearms and ammunition were trafficked to Mexico for the La Línea cartel.
According to reporting by the Big Bend Sentinel, Acosta pleaded guilty to two counts of smuggling goods. A firearms trafficking charge originally filed in the case was not pursued by prosecutors as part of the plea agreement, the newspaper reported.
Federal court records cited by the Sentinel allege Acosta helped facilitate the movement of weapons and ammunition destined for the La Línea cartel in Ojinaga, Mexico. Prosecutors previously said cellphone records and other evidence linked Acosta and co-defendant Adalberto Jaquez-Hinojosa to discussions about smuggling firearms across the border.
Acosta, a well-known Presidio businessman who manages a duty-free store and operates a barbecue catering business, was arrested Nov. 13 and later released on bond after spending about a month in federal custody. Defense attorneys argued that firearms found on his property belonged to friends attempting to comply with Mexican firearms laws and that Acosta was not involved in trafficking weapons.
The Sentinel reported that prosecutors alleged trafficked firearms were stored in Presidio before being moved into Mexico and that some of the weapons discussed included a SCAR rifle and other firearms sought by criminal organizations.
Acosta is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 27. Jaquez-Hinojosa, who previously pleaded guilty to two counts of smuggling goods in a separate plea agreement, is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 25.
Court records also show Acosta remains under conditions of release, including a nighttime curfew. The Big Bend Sentinel reported that he recently appeared before the Presidio City Council to discuss plans for a small RV park in Presidio.
