SOUTH BEND — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
SOUTH BEND – On January 22, 2026, Guillermo Zarate-Martinez, 29 years old, of Venezuela, residing in Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Zarate-Martinez was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
According to documents in the case, Zarate-Martinez is a citizen of Venezuela who was in the United States illegally in August 2024 when he was found in possession of three firearms in Mishawaka, Indiana. Zarate-Martinez had the firearms when he and several other individuals went to a local business and threatened the owner in an attempt to recover an alleged debt of money.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katelan McKenzie Doyle and Luke N. Reilander.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
