Criminal illegal alien from Guatemala pleads guilty to unlawful gun possession (DOJ)

Pensacola, Florida - Selvin J. Tello-Perez, 25, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the plea.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "My office continues to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche that we will protect our streets from criminal illegal aliens who have demonstrated a brazen disregard for our nation's laws. Our citizens deserve secure borders and crime-free neighborhoods, and my office will deliver both with continued successful prosecutions like this one."

According to court documents, in January 2026, the defendant was arrested in Okaloosa County after being caught driving an electric scooter with a loaded revolver in a fanny pack zip-tied to its handlebars. The defendant is a previously deported Guatemalan citizen who had illegally re-entered the country.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Tello-Perez faces up to 15 years' imprisonment.

The case was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.

Contact

United States Attorney's Office
Northern District of Florida
[email protected]
X: @USAO_NDFL

Updated September 28, 2026