A federal grand jury indicted Edilberto Gonzalez-Barrera, a 40-year-old Guatemalan national, on April 14 for illegal possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and for entering the United States without proper admission, according to an April 15 announcement.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to address immigration violations and firearm offenses in the region. Authorities say that Gonzalez-Barrera allegedly possessed a Sig-Sauer P365X, 9mm firearm while unlawfully present in the country. The indictment states he entered the United States without being properly admitted.
Federal law provides that illegal possession of a firearm by an undocumented individual can result in up to 15 years in prison without parole under Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(5)(A) and 924(a)(8). Illegal entry into the United States carries a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment under Title 8, United States Code, Section 1325. These sentences are set by Congress for informational purposes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney is prosecuting the case following investigations conducted by Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement Removal Operations and the Carthage Police Department. The indictment notes that charges are accusations only; evidence must be presented at trial where guilt or innocence will be determined by a jury.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as “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.”
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach programs focused on issues such as violent crime and drug trafficking according to its official website. The office has locations in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield according to its official website, operates under affiliation with the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website, manages prosecutions across 66 counties in western Missouri according to its official website, covers territory from Iowa’s border southward to Arkansas and westward from Kansas nearly halfway across Missouri according to its official website, and collaborates with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners according to its official website.
