United States of America v. Martin Eulalio Molina Lopez

Phoenix, Arizona criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Illegal Possession of Firearms

Former Mexican Police Officer Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms

Martin Eulalio Molina Lopez, 33, of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced to 63 months in prison. Molina Lopez previously pleaded guilty to Alien in Possession of a Firearm.



In early 2024, Molina Lopez was admitted to the United States under a travel visa. In February 2024, Molina Lopez was arrested and charged after law enforcement observed him recruit United States citizens to serve as straw purchasers for firearms at a gun show in Phoenix, Arizona. Law enforcement agents found Molina Lopez in possession of 18 firearms that were purchased by others for him at the show. A subsequent investigation revealed that Molina Lopez, who was prohibited from purchasing firearms in the United States while on a travel visa, had previously recruited United States citizens to purchase an additional 20 firearms on his behalf.



Molina Lopez retired from the Hermosillo Municipal Police in 2021 after sustaining a gunshot wound.



This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).



The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Marcus Shand, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.