'Prolific' Trafficker Who Supplied High Caliber Weapons To The Sinaloa Cartel Sentenced To Almost 20 Years In Prison

A "prolific firearms trafficker" has been sentenced to 19.5 years in federal prison for his role in supplying weapons and ammunition to the Valenzuela Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO), a significant component of the Sinaloa Cartel, per U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath.

Keith Octavio Rodriguez Padilla was well-connected with high-ranking Valenzuela TCO members. He served the illegal enterprise as a firearms trafficker and broker, supplying its members with "tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition" and weapons such as .50 caliber rifles, submachine guns, assault-style rifles, handguns, and grenades, per federal agents.

Padilla acquired the weapons and ammunition in the United States and then smuggled the illegal cargo to Mexico through international ports of entry in San Diego and Arizona.

On November 20, 2020, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents investigated a commercial truck yard in San Diego operated by a faction of the TCO. Agents seized more than $3 million in U.S. currency, 685 kilograms of cocaine, 24 kilograms of fentanyl, and a trailer containing approximately 20,000 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition.

Investigators tracked the origin of the ammunition and learned Padilla had purchased it on behalf of the Valenzuela TCO.

Padilla's case is part of a long-running investigation targeting the Valenzuela TCO, which, according to the U.S. Attorney, "was one of the largest importers of cocaine into the United States." To date, this investigation has resulted in charges against 109 defendants and the seizure of approximately 2,000 kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl, more than $16 million in cash, and 21,000 rounds of ammunition.

"Weapons trafficking fuels drug-related violence," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark in a written statement. "Money and greed are the foundation of the Sinaloa Cartel business model and Padilla provided a lifeline by trafficking firearms."

According to a new report by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), almost three in four firearms used by Mexican cartels (74%) are trafficked illegally from the United States, primarily from Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.

The analysis points to a preference for privately made firearms (PMFs), often called "ghost guns" because they lack serial numbers and can be obtained without background checks. Pistols and rifles were the most frequently trafficked firearms, accounting for roughly 83% of weapons recovered in Mexico between 2022 and 2023.

​​Efforts to hold U.S. gun manufacturers accountable have met resistance. A 2021 lawsuit filed by Mexico against 11 U.S. gunmakers was dismissed in federal court, though an appeals ruling in January 2024 opened the door for potential legal actions against firearm producers.

In a recent press conference, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, joined by Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, emphasized the need for binational cooperation. "Just as they are concerned about the flow of drugs into the U.S., we are deeply concerned about the influx of firearms into Mexico," Sheinbaum said on Thursday, Jan. 9th.