United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia

07/10/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/10/2025 15:12

Two Honduran nationals plead guilty to firearms charges

Press Release

Two Honduran nationals plead guilty to firearms charges

Thursday, July 10, 2025
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For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Two Honduran nationals pled guilty to charges relating to their purchasing and international shipping of ammunition to Honduras and an attempt to send firearms to Honduras.

According to court documents, in July 2013, Miguel Humberto Pinto Serrano, 29, unlawfully entered the United States and was encountered by immigration officials. Pinto Serrano was found removable in absentia after he failed to appear at his removal hearing. In August 2021, Walter Antonio Coto Alvarenga, unlawfully entered the United States and was encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in New Mexico. CBP determined that Coto Alvarenga was unlawfully present in the United States and removed him from the country. Coto Alvarenga later illegally reentered the United States.

The two were illegally residing in the United States in a residence they shared in Sterling. On at least 23 occasions from 2020 to 2025, Pinto Serrano purchased ammunition and firearm parts from three companies. Pinto Serrano also purchased pistol magazines, grips, barrels, and night sights on eBay. On Nov. 29, 2022, Pinto Serrano shipped 3,000 rounds of ammunition to Honduras, and, in coordinating the shipment, stated that the shipment contained clothes and food for Coto Alvarenga's family in Copán, Honduras. The ammunition was later seized by Honduran officials in a box bearing Coto Alvarenga's name and phone number.

On April 10, Pinto Serrano ordered 1,200 rounds of ammunition that were delivered to the residence in Sterling on April 19. On April 21, 2025, law enforcement searched the residence shared by Pinto Serrano and Coto Alvarenga. From the residence, investigators recovered over a thousand rounds of ammunition, firearm parts, 10 new rifle magazines, and three handgun magazines, including an extended capacity magazine. During the search, Pinto Serrano and Coto Alvarenga arrived in a rental vehicle from which investigators recovered two rifles, four unloaded magazines, and one loaded magazine. The serial number on one of the rifles had been obliterated. On Pinto Serrano's cellphone were messages indicating that he intended to sell and ship the rifles to Honduras.

Pinto Serrano pled guilty today to smuggling goods from the United States and possession and interstate transport of a firearm by an illegal alien. He remains subject to the 2013 order of removal. Coto Alvarenga pled guilty yesterday to possession and interstate transport of a firearm by an illegal alien. Pinto Serrano and Coto Alvarenga are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24 and face up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather D. Call and is prosecuting the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Binder assisted in the prosecution.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:25-cr-175 (Pinto Serrano) and 1:25-cr-176 (Coto Alvarenga).

Updated July 10, 2025
Topics
Firearms Offenses
Immigration
Component
USAO - Virginia, Eastern
United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia published this content on July 10, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 10, 2025 at 21:12 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io