BOSTON — Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested a Boston man July 19 charged in connection with illegal firearm smuggling between the United States and the Dominican Republic uncovered by HSI Boston’s Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST).
Alexis Lara Herrera, 26, was charged with one count of smuggling goods from the United States; aiding and abetting. Herrera made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston July 19 and pleaded not guilty. He is currently being held in federal custody pending trial.
According to the charging documents, on or about March 18, 2023, local law enforcement in the Port of Haina in the Dominican Republic conducted security examinations of international freight in the port. In their search of a shipping container from Brooklyn, New York, they discovered a shipping manifest indicating the container contained household goods. During a search of the container, four Glock firearms and 500 rounds of ammunition were found inside an air conditioner. Further investigation revealed that the shipping container originated in Boston.
It is alleged that Herrera purchased four Glock firearms seized in the Dominican Republic from federally licensed firearms dealers. Herrera was also allegedly in communication with multiple co-conspirators throughout the shipment. A search of his phone allegedly showed his engagement in firearms smuggling, including texts and a photo of multiple guns. Additional evidence recovered from the forensics of Herrera’s cell phone indicated that he allegedly discussed numerous shipments of firearms to the Dominican Republic, including one in June of 2023 after authorities seized this shipment.
The charge of smuggling goods from the United States; aiding and abetting provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol; and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The primary mission of HSI’s BEST teams is to combat transnational criminal organizations by employing federal, state, local, tribal and international law enforcement authorities and resources to identify, investigate, disrupt and dismantle these organizations at every level of operation. BESTs eliminate the barriers between federal and local investigations and close the gap with international partners in multinational criminal investigations.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.