A Venezuelan national who entered the United States through the now-disabled CBP One Application system has been arrested and charged with possessing a firearm as an illegal alien.
Luis Ernesto Veliz Riera, 23, was apprehended in Homestead, Florida, and made his initial court appearance on Wednesday. According to the criminal complaint, Veliz Riera entered the U.S. at the El Paso, Texas border in February 2023 after scheduling an appointment through the CBP One Application. This online system, which has since been deactivated, allowed undocumented individuals to schedule appointments at southwest border ports of entry.
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Veliz Riera failed to appear for his immigration hearing in Las Vegas and remained in the U.S. illegally. He traveled to Florida with his girlfriend, who also entered the country illegally. In October 2024, during an investigation into potential gang activity, local law enforcement stopped Veliz Riera and discovered he was wanted on a state warrant and was in the country illegally.
Further investigation revealed that Veliz Riera possessed a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a 30-round magazine in his Homestead hotel room. He was arrested on state charges and later transferred to immigration detention.
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In February 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and ICE re-arrested Veliz Riera to re-evaluate his release from immigration detention. He was subsequently charged with one count of possessing a firearm as an illegal alien.
HSI Miami is investigating the case, with assistance from various federal and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Kseniya Smychkouskaya is prosecuting the case.
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