TAMPA, FL – Two Ohio men are cooling their heels in federal lockup after an ATF operation busted them attempting to arm Mexican drug cartels with a frightening arsenal. Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario, 28, of Cleveland, OH, and Saleh Yusuf Saleh, 24, also of Cleveland, were arrested March 2, 2023, and now face the very real possibility of spending the rest of their lives behind bars.
According to a complaint unsealed this week, the pair allegedly conspired to transfer firearms to individuals they believed were connected to Mexican cartels, starting as early as 2021. Undercover ATF agents, posing as cartel members, were contacted by Rodriguez Hilario, who quickly established himself as a source for smuggled weapons. The discussions weren’t limited to standard assault rifles – agents also heard talk of rocket-propelled grenade launchers, a chilling indication of the firepower these men were attempting to deliver south of the border.
The operation revealed a sophisticated network. One of the co-conspirators bragged about already supplying AR-15s and AK-47s to groups in El Salvador, alongside a readily available supply of cocaine. Rodriguez Hilario upped the ante, even offering fentanyl to the undercover agents for the manufacture of illicit pills. Over the course of the conspiracy, the pair allegedly sold or arranged the sale of at least 90 rifles, including a particularly dangerous Mac-10-type machine gun equipped with a silencer. The weapons were distributed in both the Middle District of Florida and Cleveland.
The final straw came in November 2022 when an undercover agent relayed a message from “associates in Mexico” who were “battling and losing,” desperately needing more firepower. Rodriguez Hilario responded by arranging a delivery of 40 AM-15 multi-caliber firearms on March 2, 2023. Saleh, responsible for acquiring and assembling the weapon parts, accompanied Rodriguez Hilario to the meeting. As agents inspected the shipment, both men were taken into custody. Post-arrest interviews reportedly confirmed their involvement in the illegal firearms trafficking scheme.
Both Rodriguez Hilario and Saleh are charged with conspiracy to transfer firearms to commit a felony and/or drug trafficking crime; possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, illegal transfer of firearms, unlicensed firearm dealing, and conspiracy to violate federal gun laws. If convicted on all counts, each man faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. This case was spearheaded by the ATF’s Tampa Field Division, in collaboration with the Panama Express Strike Force – a multi-agency task force under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) umbrella.
The investigation involved a broad coalition of federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, DEA, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Southern Command, Cleveland Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Dan Baeza is prosecuting the case. A formal charge is not a declaration of guilt; both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Organized Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Press Release
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