Illegal Immigrant Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison

MOBILE, AL - A Honduran national was sentenced on March 20, 2026, to 10 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents, Mario Ramon Mendoza-Martinez, 26, was arrested by Saraland Police Department on September 23, 2025. Saraland Police had pulled Mendoza-Martinez over for a traffic violation. Mendoza-Martinez was only able to produce a Honduran identification card. Saraland Police requested assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who confirmed that Mendoza-Martinez was not lawfully present in the United States. The Saraland officer then searched Mendoza-Martinez's vehicle and located a Winchester model 190 .22 caliber rifle and 41 rounds of ammunition. Mendoza-Martinez has a prior conviction out of the Western District of Texas for Illegal Entry.

At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed the 10-month sentence of incarceration and a one year term of supervised release upon his future release. Upon his release from prison, Mendoza-Martinez is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Mendoza-Martinez was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

Saraland Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of 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.