Cleveland Men Face Federal Charges for Alleged Gun Trafficking to Mexican Cartels
Two men from Cleveland are facing serious federal charges after allegedly attempting to sell a significant cache of AR-15-style firearms and a machine gun to individuals they believed were members of a Mexican drug cartel. Yarquimedes Rodriguez Hilario, 32, and Adison Lopez-Ramirez, 34, stand accused of conspiracy to traffic firearms and money laundering, offenses that could land them in prison for up to 35 years.
The charges stem from a sting operation conducted by undercover federal agents in the Middle District of Florida, who posed as representatives of a Mexican cartel. According to prosecutors, the two men successfully sold and attempted to sell a total of 90 rifles and one machine gun to these undercover agents.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts by both U.S. and Mexican authorities to combat the flow of firearms from the United States into Mexico, where they often end up in the hands of powerful drug cartels. This issue has become a major point of contention between the two countries, with Mexico increasingly vocal about the need for the U.S. to address gun smuggling across its borders.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has emphasized that stemming the flow of drugs into the United States requires a corresponding effort to curb the smuggling of guns into Mexico. The Mexican government has even taken legal action against U.S. gun manufacturers, arguing that their business practices contribute to the violence plaguing the country. This lawsuit is currently under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jonathan Lowry, an attorney representing Mexico in its legal battles against U.S. gun companies, has stated that "Guns trafficked from the United States are the lifeblood of the cartels." He argues that stopping the flow of firearms is essential to weakening the cartels and reducing the violence that fuels drug trafficking and migration to the United States.
Leaked Mexican military intelligence indicates that tens of thousands of U.S.-made firearms have been smuggled into the country, contributing to a cycle of violence and narcotics trafficking. These weapons are often used by cartels to maintain their power and control, leading to increased instability and violence in Central America, which in turn contributes to the migration crisis at the U.S. border.
The alleged gun trafficking scheme operated by Rodriguez Hilario and Lopez-Ramirez reportedly took place between 2021 and early 2023. They are being charged in Florida because that is where the sales and attempted sales to undercover agents occurred.
This case is not an isolated incident. Two other individuals have already been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in the operation. Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario, the brother of Yarquimedes Rodriguez Hilario, received a sentence of over 13 years for his role in acquiring and assembling the firearms that were ultimately sold to the undercover agents. Saleh Yusuf Saleh was sentenced to nearly six years on similar charges.
Attorneys representing Rodriguez Hilario and Lopez-Ramirez have declined to comment on the case.
The investigation and subsequent arrests were part of the federal government’s Panama Express Strike Force, a multi-agency task force dedicated to disrupting and dismantling international criminal organizations. The task force includes representatives from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI, among other federal law enforcement agencies. Recent cases pursued by the task force have also targeted individuals involved in espionage on behalf of drug traffickers.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida confirmed that the Cleveland men were arrested for selling and attempting to sell firearms to undercover agents posing as cartel members. However, officials declined to comment further, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
Court filings related to the case against Rodriguez Hilario’s brother provide details about the sting operation. According to these documents, an undercover agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) established contact with the trafficking group through text messages. The agent and the group exchanged pictures of AR-15-style rifles, and eventually, they met in Cleveland. An agreement was reached to conduct a deal in Florida.
Lopez-Ramirez is accused of transporting rifles from Ohio to the undercover agents in Florida, where he received $16,000 in payment. He subsequently deposited $9,000 into Rodriguez Hilario’s account at a PNC Bank in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Prosecutors allege that when the undercover agents informed the traffickers that their associates in Mexico were "battling and losing," the group responded by arranging the sale of 40 additional AR-15-style weapons.
The operation began to unravel on March 2, 2023, when ATF agents arrested Saleh and Rodriguez Hilario’s brother in the parking lot of a Five Guys restaurant in Cleveland while they were in the process of completing a deal involving AR-15-style rifles.
The conspiracy of gun traffickers had allegedly promised the undercover agents a wide range and quantity of weapons, essentially offering to supply them with an arsenal. They allegedly told the agents that they could obtain a "tubo," which is believed to be a reference to a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. They also claimed they could supply substantial amounts of cocaine and that they had previously sold AR-15s and AK-47s to individuals from El Salvador.
Court filings indicate that Lopez-Ramirez personally delivered nine .223 caliber rifles and one 9mm rifle to the undercover agents.
Authorities state that the trafficking operation was shut down while the group was in the midst of a deal involving 40 AR-15-style rifles. In total, the group allegedly sold or made deals to sell 90 rifles and one Mac-10-type machine gun with a silencer.
Rodriguez Hilario’s brother reportedly told investigators that he initially met Saleh, who was responsible for sourcing the firearms, on Armslist, an online firearms marketplace.
The sting operation is taking place against a backdrop of increasing pressure from the Mexican government to stop the flow of U.S. guns into their country. However, the 90 firearms involved in this case represent only a small fraction of the total number of American guns flooding Mexico. According to ATF trace data, between 2018 and 2022, approximately 78,000 guns recovered in Mexico were linked back to U.S. gun shops.
Weapons are often smuggled into Mexico through trafficking networks that purchase firearms from gun stores or at gun shows in the United States and then transport the weapons, parts, and ammunition across the border. Trafficking weapons to cartels is a federal offense that carries a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
In an effort to improve border security and stave off potential tariffs from the U.S., Mexican troops were deployed to the border. Between February 4 and March 9, these troops seized 1,192 weapons and 143,734 bullets of various calibers. During this period, U.S. citizens and Mexicans were also arrested for trafficking guns.
One such individual was Roland Alberto Munoz, a 44-year-old from Dallas, Texas, who was arrested in Mexico and handed over to U.S. Marshals to face trial in Wisconsin for trafficking high-powered rifles purchased in the state to cartels in Mexico.
Although Mexico’s efforts to combat gun trafficking have brought attention to the issue, it is not a new problem. U.S. officials have been aware of it for decades. A 2009 report by the General Accounting Office found that over 90% of the weapons used by criminal groups in Mexico had originated in the United States.
While civilians can legally purchase guns in Mexico, the process is significantly more difficult than in the U.S., and there are only two gun stores in the entire country.
Mexico is attempting to stem the flow of American guns into the country through legal action, suing gun manufacturers and dealers. The country’s case against gun manufacturers seeks to hold them accountable for the violence that cartels inflict using American guns. A ruling by the Supreme Court is expected soon.
Mexico’s case against gun dealers aims to hold several gun stores in Arizona accountable for selling guns to traffickers. The case is currently in pre-trial proceedings.
Lowry, the attorney representing Mexico, has praised the work of undercover agents in disrupting gun trafficking rings but ultimately described it as a "whack-a-mole strategy." He believes that the only way to effectively stop the flow of guns across the border is to address the source of the problem by regulating the U.S. gun industry. He argues that simply trying to stop the endless supply of people willing to traffic guns for money will not solve the problem.
