Three Venezuelan migrants, including an alleged high-ranking member of the infamous Tren de Aragua street gang, were charged Wednesday on a 31-count gun trafficking indictment.
Stefano Pachon, 21, Darwin Figuera, 34, and Yorman Serrano, 31, were all arrested on Jan. 15 for a conspiracy to sell and traffic illegal firearms, including ghost guns, rifles, and shotguns. According to court documents, one of the semi-automatic weapons was equipped with a “sear switch” to turn it automatic, and many were sold with large ammunition feeding devices to increase their capacity.
Pachon is suspected of being a ring-leader in Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization stemming from Venezuela connected last year to a Midtown crime wave.
Law enforcement sources said all three men arrived in the United States between mid to late 2023 and, since then, have been arrested multiple times. Judge Althea Drysdale commented at their Jan. 15 arraignment hearing that they appear to have been “busy.”
Pachon himself claimed disability, citing an instance in which he was stabbed in the hand. Prosecutors, however, said that Pachon allegedly played the role of head honcho for the gun-running operation — orchestrating the selling and negotiating the prices of about 11 firearms. The sales occurred in multiple locations in the Bronx and at a gas station in East Harlem at East 125th Street and Second Avenue.
“These charges are a stark reminder that we must always remain vigilant against high-powered, illegal firearms and the dangerous gangs that would use them to hurt New York City families and communities,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement. “The NYPD will always unflinchingly perform the heroic work required to prevent these weapons from getting into criminals’ hands, so that everyone in our city can live free from fear and violence.”
Sources at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office stated that arrests resulted from a probe into Victor Parra, the ringleader of a cell phone snatching ring that made headlines last year after pedestrians were left injured in the scooter-bound snatch-and-grab attacks.
After his arrest, sources say evidence garnered in that case contributed to these takedowns. Parra himself pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, and will soon be sentenced to between 2 and 6 years in state prison.
“Selling illegal weapons in Manhattan is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The scourge of gun violence takes a devastating toll on our communities, and I have met with far too many heartbroken families who have lost a loved one because of illegal firearms,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.
Law enforcement sources said buyers were allegedly lured in via WhatsApp messages, through which they would send photographs of the weapons and coordinate meetups.
Some of the weapons sold include: four 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol each equipped with ammunition magazines, a Polymer80 9-millimeter semi-automatic ghost gun that had a magazine with the capacity for 34 rounds, Smith & Wesson .38 special caliber revolver, 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun, Smith & Wesson .40 caliber fully-automatic pistol that had a magazine with a capacity of 15 rounds, American Tactical 5.56×45 millimeter semi-automatic rifle equipped with ammunition magazines, Radical 5.56×45 millimeter semi-automatic pistol with ammunition magazines, and a Ruger semi-automatic pistol.
Pachon was charged with fourth-degree felony conspiracy, first-degree criminal sale of a firearm, and second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Serrano and Figuera were also hit with charges of fourth-degree conspiracy, first-degree criminal sale of a firearm, and weapons possession.
The defendants each pleaded not guilty. Judge Drysdale ordered Pachon held in custody without bail. The judge further ordered Serrano held on $75,000 bail or $200,000 bond, and Figuera held on $50,000 bail or $200,000 bond.
