A federal jury in Fort Pierce found a Honduran citizen, who was in the United States illegally, guilty of his participation in a network that purchased weapons in South Florida through front men and smuggled them into Honduras.
The jury found Luis Matute Figueroa, 33, of Lake Worth, guilty of conspiracy and unlawful possession of a firearm, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
Matute Figueroa stayed in the United States longer than allowed on his tourist visa in 2017, without legal status, the Department of Justice said.
According to investigators, WhatsApp messages recovered during the investigation revealed that Matute Figueroa provided his accomplices with gun inventories, pricing information, and shipping instructions for weapons destined for Honduras. The messages also contained a photograph and video of Matute Figueroa in possession of a distinctive gold Colt 1911 pistol.
“This defendant took advantage of his illegal presence in the United States to facilitate the trafficking of U.S. weapons to Honduras,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones stated in the press release.
“This verdict reflects our commitment to dismantling international arms trafficking networks and prosecuting undocumented immigrants who illegally possess and export firearms.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Matute Figueroa conspired with Gerson Eliu Padilla-Figueroa, Juan Matute Figueroa, Ariel Henriquez-Padilla and William Mendoza to acquire firearms in the United States through fraudulent purchases and illegally export them to Honduras, the Department of Justice reported.
Matute Figueroa faces up to five years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 15 years on the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
