News Releases and Statements
News Releases and Statements
Gerardo Rafael Perez Jr. aka “Jerry,” 23, Luis Matias Leal aka “Wicho” aka “Poncho” aka “El Tio,” 30, Antonio Osiel Casarez, 26, Francisco Alejandro Benavides aka “Frankie,” 23, and Mark Anthony Trevino Jr., 24, all were charged in an indictment for one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to straw purchase firearms with a maximum penalty of 25 years of imprisonment.
John Patrick Gordon Dane, 36, of Virginia Beach, received the four-year prison sentence Feb. 26 at the U.S. District Court in Norfolk.
Leonard Mnela, a citizen of Albania with a final order of removal, is a foreign fugitive wanted by law enforcement authorities in Italy for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, attempted extortion, firearms violation, drug trafficking, drug importing and drug selling.
If convicted, Reginald Dugger, 42, of Orlando, faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the drug offense and up to 15 years in federal prison for the firearm offense.
On Feb. 21, a federal grand jury indicted Jose Rene Murrieta, 30, of Nogales, on one count of smuggling goods from the United States, felony receipt of a firearm, and conspiracy to smuggle firearms out of the United States to promote a felony.
Jonen Castillo, 23, of Orlando, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Castillo that the United States intends to forfeit a Smith and Wesson firearm and four Glock firearms, which are alleged to be involved in the offense.
Chad Williams Wesevich, 40, and his brother Jamie Wesevich, 41, both residents of Corpus Christi, were sentenced Feb. 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to serve 360, 240 and 60 months, respectively, for conspiracy to manufacture and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Moctar Ahmadou Gouroudja Ahmadou, a 26-year-old citizen of Niger who is in the United States on a nonimmigration student visa, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for unlawfully transporting and possessing a firearm, which violates the terms of his visa. Ahmadou was convicted March 14, 2023, following a jury trial.
David Pasillas Martinez, 52, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
Saul Castorena, 41, and his brother, Steven Castorena, 40, are charged with conspiracy to take a hostage, two counts of hostage taking, conspiracy related to harboring undocumented noncitizens, and two counts of harboring an undocumented noncitizen.
David Fehr Wiebe, of Janos, Chihuahua, Mexico, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
Vernelle E. Hines, 30, a resident of Houston, Texas, was charged with interfering with commerce by robbery and carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Jose Angel Hinojosa Jr., 36, of Weslaco, pleaded guilty Jan. 19 before U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey. As part of his plea, Hinojosa admitted to attempting to smuggle more than 40 firearms.
Rolando Herrera, 26, pleaded guilty Jan. 3 to conspiracy to smuggle ammunition with intent to promote a felony. His sisters, Ashley Herrera, 22, and Yamileth Herrera, 21, entered their guilty pleas Dec. 12, 2023. All are U.S. citizens and maintain residences in Laredo and Nuevo Laredo in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Kahlil Felder, 39, of Southeast Washington D.C., was arraigned on a four-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, and using, carrying and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, among other charges. Felder was ordered detained pending trial.
Chandler Britain Bradford, 34, of New Braunfels, is charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms; one count of conspiracy to transfer firearms for use in a felony; four counts of aiding and abetting the smuggling of goods from the United States; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith announced Dec. 6 that District Court Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy sentenced Somalie Bruce, 37, to 120 months of incarceration for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to traffic firearms.
ERO Philadelphia removed Arif Ugur, a citizen of Turkey with a final order of removal, to Turkey on Nov. 20, 2023.
A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Hainze Diaz Arroyo, known in the music industry as Hanzel la H, with firearms violations. Diaz Arroyo was arrested on July 10 for violating his federal supervised release and has remained detained since his arrest.
A federal grand jury returned indictments for Jeremiah Pittman, 21; Shamall McDonald, 21; Juan Christian Rodriguez-Luhan, 20; Raeshawn Demond Roberts, 21; Jacob Deshaun Raglin, 24; Javion Lavelle Cooper, 19; Tyson Charae Hawthorne, 21; and Dantawn Richardson, 20, all charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
More than 1 million rounds of ammunition seized from Iran last year have been transferred to Ukraine following an investigation conducted by HSI Washington, D.C., the DCIS of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, and the DOJ. The U.S. government transferred the 1.1 million rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces Oct 2.
Eric Nana Kofi Ampong Coker, 41, of Columbia received a sentence of 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release at the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland Sep. 6.
On Sept. 7, HSI Houston, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and various other federal, state and local law enforcement authorities announced charges brought against 39 individuals under the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Houston Violent Crime Initiative.
Speaking at an Aug. 31 roundtable in Laredo, HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee, CBP Acting Director of Field Operations for Laredo Eugene Crawford, ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Field Division Robert Topper, Houston U.S. Postal Inspection Service Chief Scott Fix, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens stressed that interdicting southbound firearms prevents criminal cartels from using them in illicit activity, such as the production and trafficking of fentanyl.
On Aug. 31, a federal judge sentenced Pedro Cruz Almeida Jr., 22, of Pharr, to serve 50 months in prison immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
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