A Mexican national, Daniel Mireles-Reyna, pled guilty on March 12 to the illegal possession of firearms before United States District Court Chief Judge Debra M. Brown in Greenville, Mississippi. Mireles-Reyna faces a maximum penalty of fifteen years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for a later date.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address illegal firearm possession and related crimes involving individuals unlawfully present in the United States. According to court documents, Mireles-Reyna was arrested on December 26, 2025, on the Natchez Trace Parkway near Tupelo after law enforcement Rangers with the National Park Service found a loaded stolen handgun in his pocket. Additional firearms and ammunition were discovered in his vehicle along with suspected narcotics.
Further investigation by Homeland Security Investigations revealed that Mireles-Reyna was not a U.S. citizen and had entered the country illegally from Mexico. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime and transnational criminal organizations.
Scott Leary, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, said: “Beginning in 2020, our borders were opened and drugs and undocumented aliens poured into our country. Crime rates rose as drug prices dropped. To combat this reality, Operation Take Back America was initiated to protect communities from the rise of violent crime and cheap narcotics and to combat transnational criminal organizations that have so decimated our communities. As part of this initiative, federal law enforcement has worked tirelessly to stop illegal immigration. The right to possess firearms does not extend to those who enter our country illegally. Rangers with the National Park Service did an outstanding job seizing deadly firearms from an illegal alien in our district. Our law enforcement officers place themselves in harm’s way every day protecting the people of our State, I applaud them. We thank the Rangers of the National Park Service and HSI for their diligent work on this case.”
Matt Wright, acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), said: “This case demonstrates the importance of vital partnerships among federal law enforcement agencies. HSI remains firmly committed to protecting public safety, and we are proud to have worked with the Rangers of the National Park Service to bring Mireles-Reyna to justice for his federal firearms violations.”
The investigation was conducted by law enforcement Rangers from the National Park Service and agents from Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Herzog Jr. is prosecuting the case.
