Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Possessing Methamphetamine and Firearms

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National, residing in Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and firearms.

Roberto Rosales Gonzales, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, to one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On Thursday, March 21, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Gonzales’s residence. During the search of the residence, officers found 59 firearms of various calibers, including two suspected machine guns, assorted ammunition, a firearm silencer, and an inert hand grenade. Officers also found approximately 114.1 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, approximately 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 31.4 grams of suspected heroin, and more than $22,000 in cash.

Under federal statutes, Gonzales is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.