A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned indictments against several Mexican nationals on April 8 for alleged immigration and firearm offenses.
The indictments include one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien against Luis Estrada-Andrade, age 22. According to court documents, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting Estrada-Andrade.
Other indictments involve charges of unlawful reentry after deportation or reentry of previously removed aliens. Alfredo Bustamante-Pineda, Francisco Javier Gandarilla-Baray, Alexis Guzman-Olea, Apolonio Melesio-Rios, Edgar Montoya-Jakes (who was previously convicted of an aggravated felony), and Santiago Ramos-Zeferino were each indicted on similar counts related to their immigration status. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is handling the investigations for these cases with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Larry Fadler, Scott Rask, and Jabari Wamble.
The announcement states that an indictment is only an allegation at this stage: “An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” No further details about the circumstances leading to the arrests or any background information about the individuals involved were provided.
These cases reflect ongoing efforts by federal authorities to enforce laws concerning firearms possession by non-citizens as well as regulations regarding unlawful entry into the United States.
