MEXICAN MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Teodoro Rodriguez-Alvarez, 34, of the country of Mexico, was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office has zero tolerance for criminal illegal aliens who brazenly violate our nation’s laws and threaten the safety of our community. We will continue to back up the excellent investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners who catch these criminals, and will enforce our laws to the fullest extent with aggressive prosecutions followed by swift deportations to keep these dangerous illegal aliens off of our streets and out of our country.”

On July 15, 2025, a Gulf Breeze Police Department officer responded to the Pensacola Bay Bridge in reference to a pickup truck stopped in the emergency lane.  The officer arrived at the scene and identified the sole vehicle occupant as Teodoro Rodriguez-Alvarez by his Mexican passport.  After speaking with the defendant, law enforcement arrested him for multiple driving offenses.  A vehicle inventory was conducted before the truck was towed.  During the inventory, a pistol was found in a bag near the driver’s seat.  The defendant is a citizen of Mexico and was illegally in the United States.

“Criminal illegal aliens who arm themselves and break our laws endanger the public and show a complete disrespect for the laws of the United States,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “Federal immigration and firearms laws exist to protect the public. HSI is making our neighborhoods safer for everyone and will not stop identifying, investigating, and prosecuting anyone who violate these laws.”

The case involved an investigation by the Gulf Breeze Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

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.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.