PSL man convicted on 2 federal conspiracy, weapons smuggling charges in Costa Rica scheme

A Port St. Lucie man was convicted on federal conspiracy and weapons smuggling charges over what U.S. prosecutors said were his plans to illegally export parts needed to make nearly 100 AR-15 firearms to Costa Rica.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida stated in an announcement Friday the 48-year-old was convicted on two charges related to conspiracy to export United States defense articles and of attempted smuggling of defense articles.

The suspect, Gabriel Donato-Mendez, is accused of purchasing more than 150 weapons parts packages, or kits, to assemble the guns “after minor drilling and assembly” over a six-month period in 2018 and 2019, according to the U.S. State Attorney’s Office press release.

He was convicted November 20 by a federal jury on a charge of conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S. and of smuggling goods from the U.S., which combined carry up to a potential 15-year prison sentence, or $500,000 fine, according to the February 2024 indictment.

The weapons and parts needed to make them were on a national munitions list of “defense articles” that require a federal weapons export license, which prosecutors state “neither Donato-Mendez nor any of his known conspirators possessed.”

According to the indictment, “It was the object and purpose of the conspiracy for the defendant and his co-conspirators to unlawfully enrich themselves by purchasing firearm parts, concealing the firearm parts in packages, and exporting those packages…”

Court records state in 2018 Donato-Mendez sought firearm parts from a Port St. Lucie business “for the purpose of exporting them out of the United States to Costa Rica,” but was rejected by the business because he didn’t have the needed export license.

According to the indictment, the next month, he sought the same items from a firearm parts store in the Daytona Beach and Holly Hill areas and in 2019, he obtained the parts.

He is accused of then delivering seven packages containing the parts to a freight shipping service in Miami.

Court records of a series of email inquiries allegedly made between Donato-Mendez and the store show his requests for the parts packages, their partial construction, and his attempts to negotiate their pricing.

A representative from the U.S. Attorney’s Office could not be immediately be reached by phone or email Friday.

Donato-Mendez will be sentenced February 7, 2025, according to the press release.

The investigation was led by Miami and Fort Pierce offices of Homeland Security Investigations’ Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, while prosecutors stated the Costa Rican Organismo de Investigación Judicial (National Judicial Police) and U.S. Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls “provided invaluable assistance.”

Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email corey.arwood@tcpalm.com or call 772-978-2246.

More: Treasure Coast weather: Cold front brings cooler temperatures, rain, then weekend sunshine

More: Christmas bucket list 2024: 8 must-do holiday events, things to do across Treasure Coast

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: PSL man convicted on 2 federal conspiracy, weapons smuggling charges in Costa Rica scheme

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel