Category: Crime

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that six individuals have been sentenced to federal prison terms for their roles in a firearms trafficking conspiracy.

See chart below:

According to court documents, in May 2023, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating a firearms trafficking organization operating in the Middle District of Florida. The organization was comprised of at least six individuals and led by Angel Velazquez Delgado. The conspirators purchased high-caliber firearms in the United States for resale to Mexican drug cartels. These cartels were and are criminal organizations engaged in the trafficking of controlled substances into the United States.

The trafficked firearms included high-caliber, armor-piercing, and anti-material weapons. For example, approximately 11 of the firearms trafficked by this organization included Barrett .50 caliber rifles, which can expel a very accurate, heavy, and fast-moving projectile that defeats all individually worn body armor, can penetrate and disable vehicles, aircraft, boats, and can even defeat some types of protection provided by armored vehicles. These rifles are highly sought after by the cartels in their efforts to control large territories. The organization also trafficked approximately 16 FN M249S rifles, which are sold in the United States as a semi-automatic weapon but are easily converted into a machinegun. The firearms were purchased at the request of the cartels and transported to the cartels soon after purchase.

Using the eTrace Firearm Recovery Notification Program, Mexican authorities were able to confirm the presence of at least one of the trafficked firearms in Mexico. On March 22, 2023, Mexican State Police and Mexican Military personnel were involved in a shootout with suspected members of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación in Zitacuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. Two individuals were killed during the exchange of gunfire. After the shooting, a Barrett, model 82A1, .50 caliber rifle purchased by Jesus Hernandez on November 8, 2022, was recovered. At some point, members of the firearms trafficking conspiracy began removing the serial numbers from the firearms prior to shipment.

“Dismantling this Central Florida-based firearms trafficking ring is a huge win for public safety in Mexico and America,” said Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “The CJNG is a notoriously brutal transnational criminal organization designated as a foreign terrorist organization that now has less fuel for its violent criminal activities, thanks to this joint team.”

“The investigation and prosecution of violent crime is one of the top priorities of my District,” said U.S. Attorney Kehoe. “These individuals have trafficked high-caliber, military-grade weapons into the hands of dangerous Mexican cartel members and thus have caused a serious risk to the health and safety of others. My office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work to hold those who jeopardize public safety accountable for their crimes.”

This case was investigated by the ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Volusia Bureau of Investigations, and the DeLand Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lyons and Noah Dorman.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

BILLINGS – A Billings man who possessed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine was sentenced today to 240 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Dustin James Massey, 40, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The government alleged in court documents that on September 20, 2023, agents with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation learned from a source that Dustin Massey was selling drugs in Billings and was known to have guns. Agents learned Massey was on federal supervision due to a prior federal conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

On September 21, 2023, United States Probation officers, along with agents from the Montana DCI, attempted to conduct a probation search at Massey’s residence. Law enforcement went to Massey’s residence and knocked on the door, announcing their presence. Massey did not respond, and law enforcement breached the door of the residence. In response, Massey shot at officers forcing them to return fire, eventually shooting Massey. Officers disarmed Massey and noted the firearm he had been using was a Sig Sauer with an extended magazine.

Agents searched the residence pursuant to a search warrant. They seized approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, more than 12,000 fentanyl pills, and 49.4 grams of cocaine. They also seized three firearms: a Sig Sauer, model P320, 9×19 mm pistol, a Taurus, model G3, 9x19mm pistol, and a North American Arms, Model NAA-22LR, .22 caliber revolver.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case. ATF and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

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Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 176 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 24 through July 31, 2025. 

In one such case, Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers requested assistance from El Paso Border Patrol Agents after receiving information from a concerned citizen about an apartment possibly being used to house illegal aliens.  After agents arrived at the residence to perform an investigatory inquiry, an individual later identified as Jose Alfredo MACIAS-Mendoza answered the door and the agents encountered a total of 12 individuals in the apartment.  All 12 individuals stated they were in the United States illegally.  It was determined that MACIAS was being paid by an organization to oversee and harbor the illegal aliens and he was charged with alien smuggling.  Records reveal that MACIAS himself had previously been deported from El Paso to Mexico on April 19, 2024.

Jose REYNA-Aguilera was encountered at the El Paso County Detention Facility by a Deportation Officer assigned to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Criminal Apprehension Program.  Record checks revealed that REYNA is a citizen and national of Mexico without immigration documents allowing him to remain in the United States. REYNA’s immigration records established that he had been removed from the United States to Mexico on three prior occasions and was previously convicted of illegal reentry in October 2009 and April of 2011.

Deportation Officers encountered Daniel NAVA-Morales at the El Paso County Detention Facility.  Immigration records reveal that he was illegally in the country having first been removed from the U.S. to Mexico on August 4, 1998.  That removal order has been re-instated 6 times with NAVA last being removed to Mexico on January 18, 2024.  His criminal history includes convictions for illegal entry in 1999 and 2021, where he was sentenced to 3 years probation each time, and impersonating a United States Citizen, where he was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment in 2007.  He is being charged once again with illegal reentry.

In Del Rio, Texas, Azaraias Prudencio ALVARADO-Almendarez, a Honduran national who had previously been convicted of a sex offense against a child in Florida, was charged with illegal reentry.  ALVARADO has a criminal history beginning in 2007 with convictions for burglary and two “hit and runs,” one of which was a felony resulting in injury.  ALVARADO has been deported 3 times, the last time being to Honduras on June 21, 2024.

El Salvadoran National Celso RIVAS-Gonzalez was arrested by Border Patrol Agents on July 26, 2025, for illegal reentry.  RIVAS has two prior removals from the United States and a criminal history that includes aggravated sexual assault of a child in 2020, harassment in 2021, and felony indecency with a child – sexual contact in 2024.  RIVAS has been deported twice, the last time being on February 19, 2025.

Katia Yolanda SOLANO-Alvarenga, a native and citizen of Honduras, was found 3.29 miles west of Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas without documents allowing entry or residence in the United States.  SOLANO was previously deported on October 7, 2024. Additionally, SOLANO was convicted and confined for 300 days for assault causing bodily injury in Dallas Texas, on March 28, 2003. 

Honduran citizen Marcos Josue BANEGAS-Castro was found at the 7300 block of Alameda Avenue in El Paso Texas.  It was determined that he was in the United States illegally without immigration documents.  It was further determined that BANEGAS had previously been deported to Honduras on March 14, 2025.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

These cases are 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).

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Ordered to Serve 595 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Jury Tampering Charges

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Angela Michelle Tanner, 55, of Tavares, Florida, was sentenced to 76 months’ imprisonment in federal court for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, and 500 grams or more of a Mixture Containing Methamphetamine, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the drug traffickers who are flooding our streets with deadly, addictive drugs is being fulfilled thanks to the excellent collaborative efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, like we saw in this case. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers to keep our communities safe and healthy.”

Court documents reflect that Tanner orchestrated the shipment of fentanyl and multiple pounds of methamphetamine from Arizona to individuals in Florida to whom she was introduced via an inmate in the Florida Department of Corrections. Tanner used money exchange applications to receive and promote drug trafficking.  In 2023, Tanner was arrested on outstanding warrants from Citrus County, Florida.

In dismantling this conspiracy, Chason Johnson, 32, of Tallahassee, Florida, was separately charged and sentenced to 156 months in federal prison for receiving packages of methamphetamine from Tanner and possession of a firearm following his release from the Florida Department of Corrections.

“This case is a great example of law enforcement working together—seven agencies in total—to bring a transnational drug trafficker to justice,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Methamphetamine can tear apart families and communities, and we won’t stop until these criminals are brought to justice.”

“The successful outcome of this investigation is a reflection of the hard work and dedicated service demonstrated by the entire law enforcement community,” said Bladismir Rojo, Acting Inspector In Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to make every effort to remove illicit drugs and dangerous contraband from our communities.”   

The case involved an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Tallahassee Police Department, the Florida Department of Corrections, the United States Marshal Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Mesa Police Department in Mesa, Arizona. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Brandon Martez Black, 27, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 100 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

On June 8, 2024, Black, a felon with prior drug trafficking convictions, fled in a vehicle from the Florida Highway Patrol (“FHP”) after an attempted traffic stop. FHP was able to disable Black’s vehicle after performing a Precision Immobilization Technique.  Black fled on foot and threw a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol over a fence into a residential backyard, which was later recovered by law enforcement.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who pose a danger to our communities, and keeping a repeat offender like this one off the streets is exactly what they meant. I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.”

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol, Escambia County Sherriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

HOUSTON – In support of Operation Take Back America, the Southern District of Texas has filed another 245 cases in immigration and border security-related matters from July 25-31, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

Among those cases are 21 defendants charged with human smuggling, 119 charged with illegally entering the country, and another 107 charged with felony reentry to the United States after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felony convictions, including offenses related to narcotics, violent crime, immigration violations, and more. Additional cases filed this week involve other immigration-related crimes.

Of the new illegal reentry cases, four involve Mexican nationals who were removed after prior felony convictions, according to court documents. Juan Carlos De Alejandro-Rosales was previously convicted of possessing more than 50 pounds but less than 2,000 pounds of marijuana before he was removed from the United States on Oct. 22, 2018.

Mario Alberto Almazan-Mata, Bertoldo Lopez-Varillas and Luciano Martinez-Rios, also charged with illegal reentry, are alleged to have prior felony convictions before being removed, to include possession of a controlled substance and evading arrest, as well as multiple convictions for driving while intoxicated. Despite their prior removals from the United States between 2005 and 2025, in the last week, authorities allegedly found all four men in the McAllen area without legal authorization to be in the United States. If convicted, each illegal alien faces up to 20 years in federal prison.  

Another person charged with illegal reentry after removal this week is Jose Santos Diaz-Valenzuela, a Honduran national.  According to the charges, he has a prior conviction for assault on a federal officer and was previously removed from the United States on Dec. 4, 2018. Authorities allegedly encountered him again near La Grulla. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Criminal complaints further allege Hugo Armando Esquivel-Castro and Jose Armando Wong-Lopez with illegally reentering the United States after they were previously removed from the United States in 2022 and 2025, respectively, after each was convicted for harboring illegal aliens. Authorities allegedly encountered and arrested the men near Mission this week.      

In addition to the new cases, Jonathan Ray Balderas, of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced this week in Laredo to 41 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for attempting to smuggle 10 illegal aliens. Authorities stopped his truck near the 29-mile marker checkpoint on Interstate 35 and found eight individuals hidden under a tarp in the bed and two more inside. The court cited the risk of serious harm, a loaded pistol on Balderas’s waistband, and his alleged involvement in other smuggling events as factors in the sentence.

Also this week, a repeat felon and illegal alien was sentenced to serve over three years in federal prison for unlawfully reentering the United States for the fourth time. Rafael Cortez-Gonzalez, of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, had two previous felony convictions for illegal reentry, as well as a conviction for transporting an illegal alien within the United States. He was first removed from the United States in November 2000 and subsequently illegally returned three times. Authorities encountered him again on Feb. 12, 2025, in Kenedy County. In handing down the 39-month sentence, the court noted the punishment was intended to serve to deter him from continuing to commit these crimes.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, United States Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from numerous state and local law enforcement partners.

The cases are 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.