Carlos Colato, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Missouri 2020

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A 32-year-old man from El Salvador has been charged with being a felon and an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison announced today.

Court documents state that Carlos Colato illegally entered the United States on at least five separate occasions. On January 27, 2020, Independence, Missouri, police officers arrested Colato when they received reports of a man pointing a firearm at motorists. After taking him into custody and learning that he had an active immigration detainer, officers turned him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Colato was recently charged in federal court with being a felon and an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He has illegally entered the United States on at least five separate occasions. Garrison noted this case is being handled by a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative to combat violent crime.

“Cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies is quite simply the most effective way of promoting public safety,” said Robert Guadian, field office director for ICE Chicago, which oversees Kansas City. “Sanctuary city policies simply don’t work. Instead of promoting public safety, sanctuary policies put the lives of our community’s residents at greater risk. The Western District of Missouri has no communities that identify as sanctuary jurisdictions, as such the public is more secure as a direct result of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in this district.”

In related news, a recent example of the partnership between law enforcement officers at all levels throughout the Western District of Missouri is essential to presenting a united front against illegal immigration and the drug trafficking and violent crime often associated with it. Local law enforcement agencies are often our first line of defense, and we count on them to coordinate with federal authorities who enforce immigration laws aimed at protecting our neighborhoods and keeping our communities safe.

Colato is currently being held in federal custody. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Independence Police Department.

Mandatory facts: Defendant: Carlos Colato, Exact criminal charges: Felon in possession of a firearm, City and state: Independence, Missouri, Exact date: January 27, 2020, Sentence or outcome: Currently in federal custody, awaiting trial, Dollar amounts: None

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/us-attorney-praises-cooperation-state-local-law-enforcement-agencies-combat-illegal