A Nicaraguan national living unlawfully in the United States has pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm. The plea was entered before United States District Court Judge Michael P. Mills on Thursday, August 28, 2025, in Oxford, Mississippi. Sentencing for Victor A. Hernandez, 29, will be scheduled at a later date. He faces up to fifteen years in prison.
Court documents show that Hernandez was arrested after a traffic stop in Hernando, Mississippi. Police officers observed him commit several driving offenses and pulled him over. During the stop, officers found a Smith and Wesson handgun in his possession. Hernandez admitted ownership of the weapon. Further investigation revealed that the gun had been reported stolen from someone in Tennessee.
Agents with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) determined that Hernandez was not a U.S. citizen and was present in the country illegally.
Clay Joyner, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, commented on the case: “The Second Amendment is a sacred right for American citizens. Those who are illegally in the United States are not able to enjoy that sacred right and possess firearms. The United States Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute those who illegally possess firearms. We thank ICE and the Hernando Police Department for their diligent work in investigating this matter.”
The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner and Scott Lewis, Acting Deputy Field Office Director for ICE’s Memphis Field Office.
The investigation was conducted by ICE and the Hernando Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Herzog Jr. is handling prosecution.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative by the Department of Justice designed to address illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime by coordinating resources through programs like OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
