Illegal Alien and Convicted Criminal Felon Charged With Firearm Crimes

An illegal alien and convicted felon was charged with federal firearm crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.  

Manuel Najera-Garcia, a Mexican citizen and illegal alien, was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 26, 2025 with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Najera-Garcia made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 and was ordered detained.  

According to the indictment, on December 22, 2024, Najera-Garcia possessed a .38-caliber revolver after having been convicted of a felony offense in 2012.  After his felony conviction, Najera-Garcia returned to Mexico.  However, it is alleged that sometime thereafter Najera-Garcia re-entered the United States prior to possessing the firearm on December 22, 2024.  

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  Mr. Najera-Garcia is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  If convicted, Najera-Garcia faces up to 15 years in federal prison on each count.  

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Hocter is prosecuting the case.  

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.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).