Egyptian National Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Charges

ALBUQUERQUE – An Egyptian man pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses for threatening a victim with a gun at a Las Cruces gas station.

According to court documents, on the morning of May 12, 2025, Moustafa Mahmoud Abdelnabi Salem, a citizen and national of Egypt, threatened an individual at a gas station by pulling a handgun, chambering a round, and pointing it at the victim. After the incident, the victim flagged down an officer from the Las Cruces Police Department and reported the assault.

When the officer questioned Salem, who was still at the location, he alleged that the victim had assaulted him with a large knife and denied pointing a handgun at the victim. Salem refused to allow the officer to retrieve the handgun from his vehicle, leading the officer to believe that there was an issue with the firearm.

Upon further investigation, the officer determined that Salem was an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States after overstaying his visitor visa. The incident was captured by CCTV footage from the gas station in which Salem appears to be the aggressor.

Salem pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession a firearm and ammunition. At sentencing, Salem faces up to 15 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Salem will be subject to deportation as an aggravated felon.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations El Paso. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Tonkin is prosecuting the case.