BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A member of a Texas border militia has been sentenced to prison on federal weapons charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The militia had been patrolling a property on the banks of the Rio Grande trying to turn back human smugglers and drug traffickers.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen sentenced 49-year-old Kevin Lyndel Massey this week to almost three and a half years in prison followed by three years of supervised release on federal weapons charges. Massey had been convicted in a trial in September, 2015.
As previously reported by Breitbart Texas, the case stems from August, 2014, encounter where an armed militia member came face to face with a U.S. Border Patrol agent. The agent took the armed militia member for a threat and fired at him but did not strike the militia member.
When Massey arrived to the scene he had a .45 caliber handgun and a 7.62×39 rifle. Authorities learned that Massey and John Frederick “Jesus” Foerster, the militia member from the encounter had both been previously convicted on felony state charges, which according to federal law, prohibits them from owning or possessing firearms.
Breitbart Texas spoke with both Foerster and Massey who gave their version of the events.
The men claimed they had been part of a group called Rusty’s Rangers. The group had been patrolling the banks of the Rio Grande trying to disrupt the flow of drugs and human trafficking entering the country from Mexico.
Foerster initially faced multiple charges for weapons possession but as reported by Breitbart Texas, earlier last year, he ended up taking a plea deal in exchange for a lighter sentence. Foerster remains in federal custody and is set to go before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for sentencing later this month.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.
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