U.S. Department of Justice Marcos Daniel Jiménez United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
	99 N.E. 4th Street Miami, FL 33132 (305) 961-9001

JURY FINDS DEFENDANT GUILTY OF MURDER

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Hugo J. Barrera, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF); and Rolando BolaZos, Chief of the Hialeah Police Department, announced today that a federal jury found Luis Gonzalez-Lauzan, Jr., guilty of murdering a witness who had been assisting in a federal investigation. The jury will determine whether or not the death penalty applies in late February at a separate hearing. In addition to finding Gonzalez, Jr. guilty of murder, the jury also found him guilty of seven other counts including another capital crime of using a firearm in the crime of premeditated murder. Gonzalez, Jr. was also found guilty of supplying Wiggins with the 9mm semi-automatic gun and the silencer used in the murder. The jury also found Gonzalez, Jr. guilty of transferring a silencer to Wiggins as well as possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Gonzalez, Jr. has a prior conviction for illegal possession of a silencer.

On January 28, 2002, Alexander Texidor was shot and killed with a silenced firearm as he was about to enter the elevator to his apartment building. Texidor had been previously arrested by ATF agents for illegally buying handguns, and had been cooperating in their investigation of other perpetrators, including one of the current defendants, when he was murdered.

The indictment charged Luis Gonzalez-Lauzan, Jr., Jose Ramon Hernandez, and James L. Wiggins with killing Texidor in retaliation for his assisting in the investigation of illegal firearms transactions by Luis Gonzalez-Lauzan, Sr., who is the father of Gonzalez, Jr. Gonzalez, Sr. was charged in the same indictment, along with his son, with obstructing justice by directing James Wiggins to destroy the gun and silencer used in the murder.

According to the indictment, Gonzalez, Jr. sought and obtained the residence address of Texidor from Hernandez, then recruited Wiggins to do the shooting in exchange for forgiving a debt Wiggins owed to Gonzalez, Jr. from an earlier cocaine deal.

Mr. Jiménez stated, "Our system of justice that is based upon the pursuit of the truth requires that witnesses be free from any sort of intimidation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate interference of any kind with witnesses or informants assisting law enforcement. Finding and prosecuting those who attempt to persuade, intimidate or attack witnesses will always be one of our top priorities. Those who seek to subvert the criminal justice system through threats and violence will face the consequences of their actions."

Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms and the Hialeah Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frank H. Tamen and Nancy Langston.

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