Edward H. Campbell (@EdwardHCampbell)

Illegal Alien Convicted of Conspiracy to Export Firearms from South Florida to Honduras Monday, August 3, 2026 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida MIAMI – A federal jury in Fort Pierce convicted a Honduran national illegally present in the U.S. for his role in a firearms-trafficking operation that purchased firearms in South Florida through straw buyers and smuggled them to Honduras. The jury convicted Luis Matute Figueroa, 33, residing in Lake Worth, of conspiracy and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. “This defendant exploited his unlawful presence in the United States to help traffic American firearms to Honduras,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “This verdict reflects our commitment to dismantling international gun-trafficking networks and prosecuting illegal aliens who unlawfully possess and export firearms.” According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Matute Figueroa conspired with Gerson Eliu Padilla-Figueroa, Juan Matute Figueroa, Ariel Henriquez-Padilla, and William Mendoza to acquire firearms in the U.S. through straw purchases and illegally export them to Honduras. Matute Figueroa, who overstayed a tourist visa in 2017 and remained in the U.S. without lawful status, organized the firearms-trafficking component of the conspiracy. WhatsApp messages recovered during the investigation revealed that Matute Figueroa provided co-conspirators with firearm inventories, pricing information, and shipping instructions for weapons destined for Honduras. The messages also contained a photograph and a video of Matute Figueroa in possession of a distinctive gold Colt 1911 pistol. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/illegal-alien-convicted-conspiracy-export-firearms-south-florida-honduras #News #US #Florida #Honduras #Crime #Illegals #Terrorism