Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison as the final defendant in a case involving a five-man burglary crew.
According to court documents, Victor Valenciana aka Vick, 30, and his four co-conspirators targeted and burglarized Ford pickup trucks in the parking lots of retail locations, malls and restaurants. Together they stole firearms, high-value items and occasionally the vehicles themselves. To evade law enforcement detection, the individuals would rent vehicles and use them to travel to the burglary locations. Additionally, they would steal license plates from similar-looking vehicles and install the stolen license plates on the rental vehicles. In all, the group stole and sold more than 100 firearms from vehicles in the San Antonio area between July 2021 until January 2022.
On Oct. 5, 2022, Valenciana, Alejandro Arias, 26, Richard Hernandez aka Panek, 26, Andrew Blue Riojas, 26, and Aureliano Villareal aka AJ, 28, all from San Antonio, were charged in a 17-count indictment, which included on count of conspiracy to receive and possess stolen firearms and multiple counts of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. Valenciana was arrested Nov. 17, 2022 and has remained in federal custody. He pleaded guilty Aug. 14, 2024, to the conspiracy charge and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
“These five criminals will spend a combined 53 years in federal prison for their activity thanks to the investigative work and partnerships of our outstanding federal and local law enforcement agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I continue to ask residents to ensure that, if you must leave a firearm in your vehicle, you do so safely and properly. Thieves continue to target specific vehicles and can successfully break in and escape in a matter of seconds.”
“This sentence serves as notice to would be offenders that ATF is committed to breaking the cycle of firearms trafficking no matter how it occurs,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston Division. “The vast majority of firearms stolen from vehicles, end up being used as crime guns. We encourage gun owners to practice safe storage of firearms and to remember that your vehicle is not a safe. ATF will continue to leverage every resource that we have to see to it that each offender is held to account for their criminal behavior.”
“Criminal networks that steal firearms and high-value items not only jeopardize public safety, but also fuel illegal activity across our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “These defendants were part of a poly-criminal organization that targeted vehicles to steal firearms, which were then sold and trafficked, some recovered in Mexico, posing a serious threat to public safety. This sentencing underscores HSI’s commitment to dismantling these criminal networks and protecting the American public.”
“We sincerely thank our federal partners for their vital support in cracking down on vehicle burglars targeting firearms,” said Chief William McManus for the San Antonio Police Department. “Their collaboration is making our community safer.”
Valenciana and his co-conspirators received a combined 639 months in federal prison. Arias was sentenced to 150 months on Jan. 16; Hernandez was sentenced to 78 months in prison Dec. 19, 2024; Riojas was sentenced to 151 months Aug. 15, 2024; and Villareal was sentenced to 140 months July 16, 2024.
ATF, HSI and SAPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski prosecuted the case.
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