A Mexican national, Horus Samuel Marquez Villatoro, has been sentenced to a 45-month prison term for illegal reentry into the United States and unlawful firearm possession. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara handed down the sentence after Marquez Villatoro, who had been removed from the U.S. on three prior occasions, pleaded guilty to the charges on December 18, 2024, as reported by U.S. Attorney's Office.
Court documents reveal that the 31-year-old was caught on January 23, 2024, in Hillsborough County with a black Glock 17 9mm pistol, an extended magazine, and over 100 rounds of ammunition while driving, he knew they were in the car, and he was aware of his illegal status in the country. After his conviction, the judge also mandated the forfeiture of the illegally possessed firearm and ammunition.
The prosecution of Marquez Villatoro's case was managed by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey N. Schmidt, as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which aims to collaborate with law enforcement at all levels and community organizations to mitigate violent crime and gun violence.
Launched on May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice enhanced Project Safe Neighborhoods under a strategy based on fostering community trust, facilitating violence prevention through community-based organizations, establishing focused law enforcement priorities, and monitoring outcome metrics to ensure neighborhoods become safer for all, according to the Department of Justice's report.
