Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson has announced that Cuong Quoc Tran, a 39-year-old resident of Slidell, Louisiana, admitted to the illegal possession of a machine gun. The plea was entered on March 27, 2025, following Tran's violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o). Sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2025.
Court documents reveal that on January 5, 2022, the Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark stopped a fishing vessel, the "Lucky Jean," approximately four nautical miles south of Southwest Pass within the Eastern District of Louisiana. During a routine safety search, Coast Guard members discovered several rifles capable of automatic fire. Tran, the vessel's captain, confessed during an interview with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to possessing the firearms, which he had converted into fully automatic weapons. Tests conducted by the Bureau confirmed the weapons' automatic capabilities.
Tran is facing a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a maximum of three years under supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr., from the General Crimes Unit, is handling the prosecution.
This case falls within the scope of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that unites various levels of law enforcement and community entities to curb violent crime and gun-related incidents, thereby enhancing community safety. On May 26, 2021, the Department initiated a strategy to reduce violent crime, which reinforces PSN through principles aimed at fostering community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting targeted enforcement objectives, and evaluating outcomes.