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A Honduran national, Luis Matute Figueroa, 33, has been convicted for his role in a firearms-trafficking operation that smuggled guns from South Florida to Honduras. The conspiracy involved purchasing firearms through straw buyers in South Florida and then exporting them to Honduras. Matute Figueroa, who resided in Lake Worth, Florida, and overstayed a tourist visa in 2017, was found guilty by a federal jury in Fort Pierce. The investigation revealed that Matute Figueroa organized the firearms-trafficking component of the conspiracy, providing co-conspirators with firearm inventories, pricing information, and shipping instructions.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Matute Figueroa conspired with several individuals, including 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. WhatsApp messages recovered during the investigation revealed Matute Figueroa’s involvement in the conspiracy, including a photograph and a video of him in possession of a distinctive gold Colt 1911 pistol.
As an illegal alien, Matute Figueroa was prohibited from possessing any firearms. The conviction reflects the commitment of law enforcement to dismantling international gun-trafficking networks and prosecuting illegal aliens who unlawfully possess and export firearms. Matute Figueroa faces up to five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 15 years in prison on the firearm possession count.
A federal district court judge will determine Matute Figueroa’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the ATF’s Miami field division leading the prosecution.
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