Guatemalan National Pleas Guilty to Being an Illegal Immigrant in Possession of a Firearm and Illegally Entering the United States

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A Guatemalan National illegally residing in the Branson, Taney County, Mo., area, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of Illegal Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Immigrant, and Illegal Entry into the United States.

Edilberto Gonzalez-Barrera, 40, pleaded guilty before District Judge Douglas Harpool to being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm, and illegally entering into the United States. Upon serving any period of imprisonment ordered by the Court at the time of sentencing, Gonzalez-Barrera will then be deported to his native country of Guatemala.

On March 29, 2026, officers with the Branson, Missouri Police Department responded to Cox Hospital in Branson, Mo., in response to a male who had come into the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound. Officers learned that Gonzalez-Barrera, an individual who illegally entered the United States, had possessed a firearm, and as he was cleaning the firearm, it accidentally discharged, shooting off the lower end of one of his fingers. Upon determining that Gonzalez-Barrera was illegally within the United States, local law enforcement contacted agents with the Department of Homeland Security - Immigration Customs Enforcement (HSI-ICE). Agents responded and determined that Gonzlez-Barrera was illegally in the United States, as he was a citizen of Guatemala, without permission to enter or remain within the United States.

Under federal statutes, Gonzalez-Barrera is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole for the offense of being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm, and six months imprisonment for illegally entering the United States. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Branson Missouri, Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

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.