Source: Office of United States Attorneys
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Maria Magdalena Chavez, 41, illegally residing in Port Arthur, pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 27, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on September 11, 2024, Chavez was in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation in Nederland. During the stop, it was determined that Chavez had a firearm concealed in her bra. Further investigation revealed Chavez was a Mexican national who had been previously removed from the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Nederland Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman.
###