Kansas City, Missouri – A court case in Kansas City recently concluded with a significant sentence for Mario Alberto Hernandez-Lugo, a 39-year-old Mexican national. For the illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, he was given a six-year federal prison sentence without the possibility of parole. U.S. District Judge Greg Kays presided over the sentencing, emphasizing the severity of the offenses given Hernandez-Lugo’s immigration status and history of deportations.
Following a traffic stop by the Independence Police on May 28, 2023 Hernandez-Lugo discovered he was in legal trouble. According to the DOJ, officers found a Beretta 9mm pistol along with several rounds of 9mm ammunition in his possession during the stop. Hernandez-Lugo entered a guilty plea on August 1, 2024, to allegations of being an illegal alien in possession of a weapons and ammunition after his detention.
The laws are clear: any alien illegally in the United States cannot have weapons or ammunition. The fact that Hernandez-Lugo admitted to being in the country unlawfully following seven prior deportations further complicated his situation in relation to immigration. His repeated unlawful re-entries played a significant role in the length of the sentence handed down by Judge Kays.
Investigated together by the Kansas City and Independence police departments, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess Michaelsen prosecuted the case. The sentence is another reminder of the severe penalty for gun offenses, especially for those who are illegal immigrants.
Additionally, Hernandez-Lugo’s case falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and enhancing public safety. To target violent crimes—especially those involving firearms—PSN works with many levels of law enforcement and community organizations.
The program was revitalized on May 26, 2021, with a revised strategy to strengthen community trust, support violence prevention programs, establish focused enforcement priorities, and rigorously measure the outcomes of these initiatives.
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This sentence emphasizes the continuous efforts to combat gun violence and uphold immigration laws, therefore underlining the need of following gun rules as the key focus in preserving community safety throughout the United States.
