Three Venezuelan migrants, including a suspected high-ranking member of the Tren de Aragua gang, were charged with 31 counts of gun trafficking in New York City. The indictment alleges they sold a variety of illegal firearms, including ghost guns and automatic weapons, through coordinated online sales.
Three Venezuela n migrants, including an alleged high-ranking member of the notorious Tren de Aragua street gang, were charged on Wednesday with a 31-count indictment for gun trafficking . Stefano Pachon, 21, Darwin Figuera, 34, and Yorman Serrano, 31, were arrested on January 15th for their involvement in a conspiracy to sell and traffic illegal firearms, including ghost guns, rifles, and shotguns.
According to court documents, one of the semi-automatic weapons was equipped with a “sear switch” to convert it into automatic mode, and many were sold with high-capacity ammunition feeding devices. Law enforcement sources revealed that all three men arrived in the United States between mid-to-late 2023 and have since been arrested multiple times. Judge Althea Drysdale, presiding over their arraignment hearing on January 15th, commented that they appeared to have been “busy.” Pachon himself claimed to have a disability, citing an instance where he was stabbed in the hand. Prosecutors, however, allege that Pachon played the role of a leader in the gun-running operation, orchestrating the sales and negotiating prices for approximately 11 firearms. The sales took place at various locations in the Bronx and a gas station in East Harlem at East 125th Street and Second Avenue.“These charges are a stark reminder that we must always remain vigilant against high-powered, illegal firearms and the dangerous gangs that would use them to hurt New York City families and communities,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated in a press release. “The NYPD will always unflinchingly perform the heroic work required to prevent these weapons from getting into criminals’ hands, so that everyone in our city can live free from fear and violence.” Sources at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office revealed that the arrests stemmed from an investigation into Victor Parra, the leader of a cell phone snatching ring that gained notoriety last year after pedestrians were injured during scooter-based snatch-and-grab attacks. Following Parra’s arrest, evidence collected in that case allegedly contributed to these takedowns. Parra himself pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and is soon to be sentenced to between 2 and 6 years in state prison.Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg emphasized, “Selling illegal weapons in Manhattan is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The scourge of gun violence takes a devastating toll on our communities, and I have met with far too many heartbroken families who have lost a loved one because of illegal firearms.” Law enforcement sources indicated that buyers were allegedly lured through WhatsApp messages, where they would receive photographs of the weapons and arrange meetups. Some of the firearms sold include: four 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistols each equipped with ammunition magazines, a Polymer80 9-millimeter semi-automatic “ghost gun” with a 34-round magazine capacity, a Smith & Wesson .38 special caliber revolver, a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun, a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber fully-automatic pistol with a 15-round magazine, an American Tactical 5.56×45 millimeter semi-automatic rifle with ammunition magazines, a Radical 5.56×45 millimeter semi-automatic pistol with ammunition magazines, and a Ruger semi-automatic pistol. Pachon faces charges of fourth-degree felony conspiracy, first-degree criminal sale of a firearm, and second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Serrano and Figuera also face charges of fourth-degree conspiracy, first-degree criminal sale of a firearm, and weapons possession. All three defendants pleaded not guilty. Judge Drysdale ordered Pachon held in custody without bail. She further ordered Serrano held on $75,000 bail or $200,000 bond, and Figuera held on $50,000 bail or $200,000 bond
Gun Trafficking Tren De Aragua Gang New York City NYPD Manhattan District Attorney Illegal Firearms Venezuela Migrants
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