Armed alien, illegally living in Tyler, indicted on federal firearms violation

TYLER, Texas - A Mexican national, illegally living in Tyler, has been charged with a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Marco Imanol Ferrusca-Ortega, 23, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

The indictment alleges that on July 8, 2025, Ferrusca-Ortega was found illegally in the United States and in possession of a firearm

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

If convicted, Ferrusca-Ortega faces up to 15 years in federal prison and deportation.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Tyler Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak.

A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###