A federal judge sentenced a 22-year-old Premont man on July 8 to five years in prison for a violation involving a firearm he’d used in the attempted murders of two people, including a police officer.
Upon his release, Damian “Diablo” Rodriguez will complete three years of probation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said in a news release.
Rodriguez’s conviction of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number stemmed from the attempted murders of a resident and a local police officer on two separate occasions in December 2025. Rodriguez made multiple threats against their lives on social media accounts before attempting to locate and shoot them on Dec. 29 and Dec. 31, according to the news release.
In the Dec. 29 incident, surveillance footage near the victim’s home showed the shooter, later identified as Rodriguez, firing multiple gunshots into the residence from an adjacent alley, according to the news release. Authorities recovered 11 shell casings at the residence, but the victim did not suffer any injuries.
After the police officer found online threats against him from Rodriguez, law enforcement learned Rodriguez had been walking in the area with a loaded gun and attempted to locate him, according to the news release. Rodriguez saw them and began shooting.
During another incident the same day, shots were also fired at law enforcement. The shell casings at those scenes matched those from the prior attempted murder scenes, the news release said.
The investigation led to a residence where authorities found Rodriguez. Among his belongings was a Colt .223 caliber rifle with an obliterated serial number. Analysis and tests showed a match between the firearm and the shell casings from the prior shootings.
At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez made multiple comments regarding his attempts to shoot and kill the police officer, the news release said.
The court is recommending Rodriguez be placed in a federal prison facility for ex-gang members and that he complete the Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program while incarcerated, according to court records.
Police departments in Premont and Falfurrias, the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations collaborated on the investigation.
Felicity Guajardo covers breaking news and public safety. Contact her at felicity.guajardo@caller.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Premont man sentenced for firearm violation related to attempted murder
Reporting by Felicity Guajardo, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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By Felicity Guajardo, Corpus Christi Caller Times | USA TODAY Network
