A Mexican national, Pedro Antunez-Galarza, aged 43, has been sentenced to over four years in a federal prison. The sentence comes after Antunez-Galarza was found guilty of reentering the United States illegally after a previous deportation due to an aggravated felony, as well as possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and having in his possession fake identification documents, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Lazzara ordered Antunez-Galarza to serve 46 months behind bars and mandated the forfeiture of the Smith & Wesson M&P 40 Shield, and ammunition found at the time of his arrest. Furthermore, Senior U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell imposed an additional 10-month sentence, which is to run consecutively with Judge Lazzara's decision, following Antunez-Galarza’s admission of committing new law violations on the day of his sentencing.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, in 2020 Antunez-Galarza was deported following a conviction tied to a firearm offense linked to drug trafficking. Subsequent deportations occurred in 2021, and 2022, indicating a pattern of illegal reentries. The events leading to his latest capture began on July 19, 2024, when deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office noticed Antunez-Galarza riding a bicycle without lights and attempted to stop him. Antunez-Galarza attempted to flee and upon apprehension, was found to be carrying a stolen firearm and fake ID documents under a false name.
The identification of Antunez-Galarza was confirmed via a biometric records check which matched his fingerprints with those from his prior deportations, leading to his arrest on October 18, 2024. In a statement provided at the time of his arrest, Antunez-Galarza confessed to hiring a smuggler for his reentry into the U.S. and acknowledged the illegal possession of the firearm.
This case was a cooperative effort, investigated through the collaboration of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall was responsible for prosecuting the case, highlighting the multidimensional challenges law enforcement faces in dealing with repeated illegal reentry and the related criminal undertakings.
