Two individuals have entered guilty pleas in a firearms trafficking conspiracy that spanned from Florida to Puerto Rico, highlighting the ongoing issues of illegal firearms transfers. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Joseph Alfredo Bonano Aviles, 25, from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Jose Javier Corchado Montanez, 34, from Kissimmee, were involved in the scheme, which operated between September and November 2021.
Aviles and Montanez now face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for their actions, with a pending sentencing date. The men were caught as part of an investigative effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. According to the justice system, their illicit activities were not licensed or legal. Aviles and Montanez conspired to ship multiple firearms from the Middle District of Florida to Puerto Rico.
The case against these two men was part of the broader initiative known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). This program is a collaborative effort to curb violent crimes and gun-related violence, involving law enforcement at all levels and communities at large.
