U.S. Attorney Announces Influx of Federal Gun Crime Prosecutions in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO - United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons announced on Friday that Assistant U.S. Attorneys in San Antonio have filed approximately 30 federal cases against defendants for gun-related crimes in recent months.

Simmons made the announcement in a press conference, joined by representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) and ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the San Antonio Police Department. He said that, as part of an initiative to tackle violent crime in the community, his team has worked closely with the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the Bexar County District Attorney's Office, to identify cases for federal prosecution.

"Alongside our many valued law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels, we have taken great steps in the fight to rid our community of violent crime and protect our residents here in San Antonio and the surrounding area," said U.S. Attorney Simmons. "We are doing our part to ensure individuals who seek to harm our neighbors, friends, and loved ones are met with serious federal consequences."

Prosecutions have resulted in the convictions of multiple felons for possession of a firearm, including Emmanuel Frank Villarreal and Norberto Xavier Palomo, both of whom are set to be sentenced before the end of the year. In April, Villarreal fled from San Antonio Police, throwing a loaded .40 caliber handgun out the window of his vehicle as he drove. Villarreal was later arrested on a warrant by ATF special agents, with the assistance of SAPD and DPS. In August he pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.

Villarreal has previously been convicted of possession of a controlled substance, vehicle theft, and felon in possession of a firearm. New Braunfels Police arrested Palomo in May after the ATF learned Palomo had been selling AR-type firearms. Palomo is a member of the Tango Blast gang and has prior convictions for robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity. He pleaded guilty in July.

Some defendants charged as part of the initiative earlier this year, have already been sentenced. Joseph Ybarra, who was indicted in March for felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced in August to 57 months in federal prison. Ybarra was arrested following a joint investigation after he was reported for firing several gun shots during a domestic dispute. Ybarra's criminal history includes convictions for multiple DWIs, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance, domestic assault, and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

In January, Demitre Pollard was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force. At the time of his arrest, Pollard possessed a .380 handgun and over 13 grams of cocaine. His prior felony convictions included multiple burglaries and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Pollard was sentenced on Sept. 22 to 72 months in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm.

Also included in the surge of prosecutions, Simmons said illegal aliens are being prosecuted for alien in possession of a firearm charges. Abraham Gallegos Mendez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was stopped by DPS in February. He fled on foot and was eventually detained. Troopers located a 9mm along with two full magazines underneath his passenger seat.

Further investigation by the ATF determined that that firearm had been reported to SAPD as stolen from a vehicle parked at a hotel in San Antonio in 2023. Gallegos Mendez was sentenced in August to 14 months in federal prison.

Following their federal imprisonment, illegal aliens are subject to removal from the United States.

These cases are prosecuted in support of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.

An indictment/criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###