Mexican National Sentenced for Firearms Violation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm in the Western District of Missouri.

Brayan Ortega-Carmona, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 months in federal custody.

On May 29, 2024, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle driven by Ortega-Carmona for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, officers found a loaded firearm concealed inside of the vehicle's center console. It was also determined that Ortega-Carmona was a Mexican national who had been previously removed from the United States.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

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).