Brayan Sanchez-Varela, Illegal Firearm Possession, Virginia 2025

ROANOKE, Va. – A shocking crime has shaken the community in Roanoke, Virginia. Brayan Sanchez-Varela, a Honduran national, was sentenced to time served, approximately six months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as an alien in the United States.

According to court documents, Sanchez-Varela was arrested in July 2025 by Radford officials after he was observed shooting a firearm into the New River while illegally spearfishing. At the time, he was accompanied by others, all of whom were also breaking the law.

Sanchez-Varela’s arrest was the culmination of a long history of disregarding U.S. law. He was first encountered by immigration authorities in May 2011, when he was ordered removed from the United States. However, he returned to the U.S. at an unknown time and was again encountered by immigration officials in September 2016. He was once again ordered removed to Honduras, via airplane, and that removal took place in September 2016.

Sanchez-Varela’s actions raise serious concerns about national security and the rule of law. As a non-citizen, he had no right to possess a firearm, yet he did so anyway. His crimes not only put himself at risk, but also put the community at risk.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources’ Law Enforcement Division, and the Radford Police Department. Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Coleman Adams, and Special Assistant United States Attorney John Beamer, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case for the United States. This case serves as a reminder that those who break the law will be held accountable.

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