A federal jury in Fort Pierce convicted a Honduran national for operating a firearms-trafficking network that purchased guns in South Florida through straw buyers and smuggled them to Honduras. Luis Matute Figueroa, 33, of Lake Worth, was found guilty of conspiracy and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
Matute Figueroa overstayed a tourist visa in 2017 and remained in the United States without lawful status. WhatsApp messages recovered during the investigation showed that Matute Figueroa provided co-conspirators with firearm inventories, pricing information and shipping instructions for weapons destined for Honduras. The messages also contained a photograph and a video of Matute Figueroa in possession of a distinctive gold Colt 1911 pistol. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe said the defendant exploited his unlawful presence in the United States to help traffic American firearms to Honduras.
Court records and trial evidence showed that Matute Figueroa conspired with Gerson Eliu Padilla-Figueroa, Juan Matute Figueroa, Ariel Henriquez-Padilla, and William Mendoza to acquire firearms in the United States through straw purchases and illegally export them to Honduras. Straw purchases involve using individuals with clean records to buy firearms on behalf of those prohibited from owning them.
Matute Figueroa faces up to five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 15 years in prison on the firearm possession count. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The ATF Miami Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Broward Sheriff's Office, the Martin County Sheriff's Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Attorney Suzanne Huyler is prosecuting the case.