Omar Avila-Ramirez Sentenced

A Mexican National, Omar Avila-Ramirez, 38, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison without parole for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation and possessing a firearm as an illegal alien.

Avila-Ramirez, who was residing in Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, 2025, to the charges without a plea agreement. He was sentenced by United States District Judge Howard F. Sachs, and will also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.

According to government filings, Avila-Ramirez was arrested by Lee’s Summit, Mo., police officers on Sept. 26, 2024, for driving a van with license plates belonging to a stolen truck. During the arrest, Avila-Ramirez provided false identification and claimed not to have any ID.

Upon searching Avila-Ramirez, police recovered a Phoenix Arms HP, .22 caliber pistol loaded with six rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, with one in the chamber. Avila-Ramirez, who has been removed from the country twice, admitted to being in the country illegally and not being legally allowed to possess a firearm.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Mahoney and investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Lee’s Summit, Missouri Police Department. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational crime.

Operation Take Back America is a Department of Justice initiative that utilizes the full resources of the department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime. The operation streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The sentencing of Omar Avila-Ramirez serves as a reminder of the consequences of illegally reentering the United States and possessing a firearm as an illegal alien. The Department of Justice remains committed to enforcing immigration laws and protecting national security through initiatives like Operation Take Back America.

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