Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Possession Of Firearm And Ammunition

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Martin Aranda Zavala, a/k/a Martin Misael Aranda Zavala, age 29, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Illegal Alien in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 years and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on May 6, 2026, Zavala, an alien, was found in possession of one semi-automatic pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition, knowing that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Okmulgee County Sheriff's Office.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Zavala will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chuck Sullivan represented the United States.