Violent Armed Carjacker Ordered to Federal Prison

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas
25 September 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

McALLEN – A 30-year-old Mexican man has been ordered to federal prison for two carjackings which occurred in early 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Jorge Luis Almanza-Barcenas pleaded guilty to a six-count second superseding indictment on Sept. 28, 2017.

Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Jorge Luis Almanza-Barcenas to serve a total of 384 months plus one day in prison for the carjackings and related firearms offenses. Following his sentence, he is expected to face deportation proceedings as he is not a U.S. citizen.

Additional information was also presented today including a paraphrased statement form one of the victims in the case which noted her continued fear. Almanza-Barcenas was further ordered to pay $16,348.43 in restitution to the victims.

On March 27, and April 12, 2017, Almanza-Barcenas committed two armed carjackings in McAllen. He approached both female victims, who were sitting in their vehicles, and demanded them to relinquish their vehicles at gunpoint. Almanza-Barcenas pointed a 9mm caliber semiautomatic pistol at the victims’ heads and pulled them out of the vehicle, threatening to kill them. Thereafter, Almanza-Barcenas fled, obtaining the vehicle each time. .

Almanza-Barcenas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI and McAllen Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) James Sturgis and David Paxton and former AUSA Lynn Wang prosecuted the case.