United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced that Ricardo Fermin Sune-Giron, a 34-year-old from Guatemala, has pleaded guilty to charges related to international firearms trafficking. The charges include conspiracy, firearms trafficking, dealing in firearms without a license, and possession of firearms as an illegal alien. For the conspiracy and each possession offense, Sune-Giron could face up to 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a potential 5-year sentence for dealing in firearms without a license. A date for sentencing has not been set.
The plea agreement outlines that between 2023 and April 2024, Sune-Giron was involved in a transnational operation smuggling firearms. He recruited straw purchasers to buy guns illegally from licensed dealers across Florida. These weapons included Glocks, rifles, and AK-47s. The purchased firearms were then smuggled overseas to locations such as the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Thousands of these trafficked firearms have been linked to crime scenes.
On April 18, 2024, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations executed three search warrants at residences around Orlando. At Sune-Giron’s home, authorities found over 50 firearms along with ammunition, money counters, and approximately $16,000 in cash.
At the time of his arrest, Sune-Giron was living illegally in the United States under a false identity.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and Homeland Security Investigations with help from the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Noah P. Dorman are prosecuting the case.