Loyd Walter Hall Charged in U.S. Federal Case for Supplying Arms to Sinaloa Cartel

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Texas filed a 12‑count indictment against 27‑year‑old Loyd Walter Hall of Amarillo. Hall is accused of conspiring to provide firearms and technical assistance to the Sinaloa Cartel, a group designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2025, and of facilitating the import of controlled substances into the United States. The indictment also alleges that he supplied false statements to a firearms dealer and used straw‑buyer schemes to mask the ultimate destination of the weapons.

Co‑defendants Jesús Quezada Meza, Omar Velásquez, and Catlynn Ann Townsend are charged with acting as “ghost buyers” and falsifying records to acquire pistols such as Glock and Colt models in Texas and Utah, then trafficking them to Chihuahua, Mexico. Authorities say the network operated between 2024 and 2026, using false identities at gun stores and pawnshops. The case underscores ongoing U.S.–Mexico cooperation to dismantle cross‑border arms smuggling networks.

U.S. officials, including Ambassador Ronald Johnson, emphasized that the prosecution reflects a continued commitment to disrupt illicit firearm flows to Mexican cartels and protect communities on both sides of the border.