Two Ohio men have been indicted in Florida on charges of conspiring to traffic firearms and launder money, following an investigation that revealed their involvement in supplying weapons to individuals posing as Mexican cartel members.
Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney in Tampa announced the unsealing of the indictment against Yarquimedes Rodriguez Hilario, 32, and Adison Lopez-Ramirez, 34, both of Cleveland, Ohio.
If convicted on all counts, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in federal prison. The indictment also includes forfeiture allegations, seeking the seizure of assets derived from the alleged criminal activity.
READ: US Treasury Sanctions Mexico-Based Smuggler Tied To Deadly Cartel, Massive Migrant Op
According to the indictment and court documents, since 2021, undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) infiltrated a network led by Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario, who was known to traffic firearms suitable for smuggling into Mexico.
The investigation revealed discussions about the purchase of AR-15 rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Coconspirators also claimed to sell AR-15s and AK-47s to individuals in El Salvador and offered cocaine and fentanyl for distribution.
Over the course of the investigation, the conspiracy sold or arranged the sale of at least 90 rifles and a Mac-10-type machine gun with a silencer to undercover agents in Florida and Ohio.
READ: Trump’s War On Cartels Shakes Up Mexico: Drug Lords Scramble As Busts Soar
In a key transaction on October 21, 2021, Adison Lopez-Ramirez delivered ten rifles to undercover ATF agents in St. Petersburg, Florida, in exchange for $16,000. Agents then tracked Lopez-Ramirez as he deposited $9,000 of the proceeds into the bank account of Yarquimedes Rodriguez Hilario, Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario’s brother.
Further investigations led to the arrest of Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario and Saleh Yusuf Saleh in March 2023, after they attempted to deliver 40 AM-15 multi-caliber firearms to undercover agents. Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario was subsequently sentenced to 13 years and 4 months in prison, and Saleh Yusuf Saleh received a sentence of 5 years and 8 months.
READ: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Delivers Warning To Cartels From Guantanamo Bay
The indictment of Yarquimedes Rodriguez Hilario and Adison Lopez-Ramirez now expands the prosecution of this firearms trafficking operation.
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