Texas man pleads guilty to smuggling gun linked to deadly Mexico kidnapping

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A Texas man has pleaded guilty to purchasing a gun for a Mexican drug cartel that has been linked to the deadly kidnapping of four Americans. Forty-two-year-old Roberto Lugardo Moreno Jr. appeared before a federal judge on Wednesday. He entered his guilty plea to charges of straw purchasing and smuggling a firearm. A U.S. attorney says Lugardo Moreno lied on a form stating he was the buyer when he purchased a multi-caliber AR-style pistol in 2019 for a Gulf Cartel member in Mexico. Sentencing has been scheduled for August. A public defender appointed for Lugardo Moreno did not respond to a request for comment.