Trio sentenced for attempting to smuggle guns to Mexico
Two illegal immigrants and a third man were sentenced to prison Thursday for plotting to send semi-automatic assault rifles to Mexico.
Doraville residents Daniel Bernal-Perez, 36, and Dario Rodriguez-Gomez, 29, were sentenced on charges of being illegal immigrants in possession of firearms, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. They were also sentenced, along with Manuel Gamez-Valenzuela, 46, of Atlanta, in the scheme to ship weapons to Mexico.
According to court testimony, federal agents learned from a confidential source that Bernal-Perez, acting on behalf of Gamez-Valenzuela, was attempting to acquire eight to 10 semi-automatic rifles. Rodriguez-Gomez transported the guns to Bernal-Perez's residence, prosecutors said.
Agents obtained warrants for the Doraville home after observing a meeting between the three suspects on Jan. 31, 2010. Their search turned up four semi-automatic assault rifles, with large capacity magazines attached.
"These individuals conspired to funnel dangerous weapons to Mexico, further contributing [to] the violent activity that is taking place along the Southwest border," said Brock Nicholson, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta's office.
Bernal-Perez was sentenced to seven years, Rodriguez-Gomez to three years, and Gamez-Valenzuela to two years. All three will be deported upon completion of their sentences, the U.S. Attorney said.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
