Mexican national illegally residing in Stanislaus County charged with federal firearms offense after train heist of firearms

FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Ricardo Landeros, 39, a citizen of Mexico, illegally residing in Keyes, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, possessing a machine gun, and possessing an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on March 28, 2026, a passing train crew noticed multiple individuals breaking into a container on a moving train that was traveling from Stockton to Bakersfield. A pallet containing 100 AR-style pistols that was being shipped between Nevada and Indiana was stolen. Additional containers were found broken into and ransacked.

During the investigation, agents tracked a vehicle involved in the train burglary to Landeros' residence in Stanislaus County. After executing a search warrant, agents discovered multiple firearms, including a machine gun, a short-barreled rifle, some of the stolen pistols from the train heist, stolen goods from several other cargo thefts, and almost $350,000 in cash. Agents found additional stolen firearms in an associated storage unit.

Landeros is prohibited from possessing firearms because he is an illegal alien and has a prior felony conviction of possession of a loaded and concealed firearm. He has been deported twice from the United States.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and the Modesto Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the San Joaquin County and Stanislaus County Sheriff's Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Landeros faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison, as well a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.