TALLAHASSEE, FL – Another day, another illegal alien caught with a piece. Luis Miguel Hernandez-Flores, 37, a national of El Salvador, is facing federal charges after being indicted for possession of a firearm while unlawfully present in the United States. The indictment, handed down in federal court, adds another case to an already overflowing docket of border-related crime.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, John P. Heekin, announced the charge today, following Hernandez-Flores’ arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick at the Tallahassee courthouse. Details of the initial bust remain tight-lipped, but sources indicate the firearm was recovered during a routine encounter. What ‘routine’ looks like these days is anyone’s guess.
If convicted, Hernandez-Flores is looking at up to 15 years behind bars, a significant sentence for a non-citizen. And that’s just the start. Following any prison term, deportation proceedings will almost certainly commence, sending him back to the country he allegedly left illegally in the first place. It’s a revolving door, folks, and taxpayers are footing the bill.
The investigation was a multi-agency effort, bringing together the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Gadsen County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen is prosecuting the case, tasked with building a solid case against Hernandez-Flores.
Let’s be clear: an indictment is *not* a conviction. Hernandez-Flores is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The government has the burden, and it’s a heavy one. But the feds are throwing everything they’ve got at this, linking the case to “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide initiative aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
Operation Take Back America, as the Justice Department touts, streamlines resources from existing programs like the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods. Whether it’s a genuine attempt at border security or just political posturing remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, like 93 others across the country, is under pressure to deliver results. Court documents are available online via the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. More info on the US Attorney’s Office can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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Related Federal Cases
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- Ellie Edward Dulaire Sentenced for Illegal Firearm Possession · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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