TAMPA, Fla. – An illegal immigrant from Guatemala has pleaded guilty to participating in a large-scale firearms trafficking operation that smuggled thousands of weapons from Florida to the Caribbean.
Ricardo Fermin Sune-Giron, 34, admitted to conspiracy, firearms trafficking, dealing in firearms without a license, and possessing firearms as an illegal alien. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for each of the conspiracy and possession charges and up to 5 years for dealing firearms without a license.
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According to the plea agreement, Sune-Giron was involved in the illegal operation between 2023 and April 2024. He recruited “straw purchasers” to buy firearms, including Glocks, rifles, and AK-47s, from licensed dealers across Florida.
These weapons were then smuggled overseas, primarily to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The operation trafficked thousands of firearms during this period, some of which were later recovered at crime scenes.
In April 2024, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants at three residences in the Orlando area.
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At Sune-Giron’s residence, they discovered a massive stockpile of over 50 firearms, ammunition, money counters, and approximately $16,000 in U.S. currency.
It was also revealed that Sune-Giron was living in the United States illegally under an assumed name.
This case highlights the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies to combat illegal firearms trafficking. The investigation involved the ATF, HSI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
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Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Noah P. Dorman are prosecuting the case. A sentencing date for Sune-Giron has not yet been scheduled.
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