A Mexican national has been sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, according to an announcement from First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville sentenced Ignacio Xalamihua-Salinas, 30, to time served for the conviction. The sentencing follows an incident on September 25, 2025, when law enforcement officers encountered Xalamihua-Salinas during an ongoing investigation and searched the vehicle he was driving. Officers found a revolver in the vehicle, which Xalamihua-Salinas admitted to possessing. Because he was in the United States illegally, he was prohibited from having a firearm.
As part of his guilty plea, Xalamihua-Salinas agreed to cooperate with immigration authorities and will remain in custody until deportation proceedings are completed by order of an Immigration Judge.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted the case. The investigation involved the United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania State Police, and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics and Vice Unit.
First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti said: "I commend the United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania State Police, and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics and Vice Unit for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Xalamihua-Salinas."
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to use Department of Justice resources to address cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect communities from violent crime.
