Egyptian National Sentenced for Federal Firearms Offense

ALBUQUERQUE - An Egyptian national was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after pointing a handgun at a victim at a Las Cruces gas station.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on the morning of May 12, 2025, Moustafa Mahmoud Abdelnabi Salem, 29, a citizen and national of Egypt, threatened an individual at a gas station by pulling a handgun, chambering a round, and pointing it at the victim. After the incident, the victim flagged down an officer from the Las Cruces Police Department and reported the assault.

When the officer questioned Salem, who was still at the location, he alleged that the victim had assaulted him with a large knife and denied pointing a handgun at the victim. Salem refused to allow the officer to retrieve the handgun from his vehicle, leading the officer to believe that there was an issue with the firearm.

Upon further investigation, the officer determined that Salem was an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States after overstaying his visitor visa. The incident was captured by CCTV footage from the gas station in which Salem appears to be the aggressor.

Salem pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Upon his release from prison, he will be subject to deportation.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations Las Cruces. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.