Amarillo, TX — An Amarillo man has been federally indicted on charges alleging he conspired to provide firearms and other support to the Sinaloa Cartel, while three additional defendants face related firearms charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, a federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment on June 25 against Loyd Walter Hall, 27, of Amarillo.
Hall is charged with:
• Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization
• Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Importation into the United States
• Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
• Providing False Material Statements to a Firearms Dealer
• Conspiracy to Straw Purchase Firearms
• Conspiracy to Traffic Firearms
Federal prosecutors allege Hall and several co-conspirators maintained a relationship from 2024 through 2026 with a Sinaloa Cartel member in Chihuahua, Mexico.
According to the indictment, Hall allegedly provided firearms, technical knowledge, and guidance on avoiding detection by U.S. law enforcement while knowing the cartel had been designated a foreign terrorist organization.
Three additional defendants were charged in connection with the investigation:
• Jesus Quezada Meza, 30, a Mexican national living in Dumas, is charged with conspiracy to straw purchase and traffic firearms.
• Omar Velasquez, 44, of Utah, is charged with conspiracy to straw purchase and traffic firearms.
• Catlynn Ann Townsend, 29, of Amarillo, is charged with making a false statement in information required to be maintained by a licensed firearms dealer.
All four defendants have made initial court appearances.
If convicted, Hall faces up to life in federal prison. Meza and Velasquez each face up to 15 years, while Townsend faces up to five years.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the FBI and Amarillo Police Department.
An indictment is a formal accusation and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
