A Mexican national living in Keswick, Virginia, was sentenced on June 25 to eight months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm while being unlawfully present in the United States.
Javier Bernal-Lopez, 38, pled guilty to illegal possession of a firearm while being unlawfully in the United States. According to court documents, on November 18, 2025, Victim 1 and another person reported a domestic dispute at the Albemarle County Police Department. Victim 1 described an incident with her ex-boyfriend, Bernal-Lopez, involving a firearm being discharged through their entrance door.
Victim 1 told detectives that Bernal-Lopez always carries a firearm and that she had been dating him for several years. She also said she knew him to be a Mexican national illegally present in the country. Authorities confirmed that Bernal-Lopez had previously been arrested twice by U.S. Border Patrol at Nogales, Arizona, in June 2004 and allowed to voluntarily return to Mexico after both arrests.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bernal-Lopez’s home on November 25, 2025. During the search, they found a SCCY CPX-2 9mm semi-automatic handgun inside a bag along with his Mexican passport. A box of ammunition and an extended magazine were also found within the residence.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf for Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., and the Albemarle County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting it.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia covers federal prosecutions and civil litigation across western Virginia; it operates offices in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Abingdon, Lynchburg, Danville and Harrisonburg; partners with law enforcement agencies; promotes public safety; is part of the U.S. Department of Justice; and handles crime prevention outreach efforts, according to the official website.