GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Camerino Perez Perez, a/k/a “Squirrel,” 42, of Mexico, was sentenced to sixteen months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by an alien unlawfully in the United States. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case demonstrates the remarkable danger our law enforcement officers face on a daily basis, and I applaud the skill and professionalism with which they acted to incapacitate this violent, armed illegal alien. My office will continue to deliver successful prosecutions like this one to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the violent criminal aliens who have illegally entered our country and who threaten the safety of our communities.”

Court documents reflect that on May 25, 2025, the defendant was holding a loaded rifle when law enforcement responded to a residence in Levy County for a domestic disturbance call. The defendant had to be tased after he refused to comply with law enforcement’s instructions in English and Spanish to drop the firearm and then flipped a table towards the law enforcement on scene. After the defendant was detained, law enforcement found an additional twenty-four rounds of ammunition in his pocket. The defendant, a citizen and national of Mexico, is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition because he entered the United States illegally and was not authorized to remain in the United States.

The defendant will be held for deportation proceedings at the conclusion of serving his federal sentence.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

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, human and drug trafficking.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.