TUCSON, Ariz. — A Mexican national has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States and possessing firearms.
Jessica Guillen-Morales, 38, of Sonora, Mexico, received a sentence of 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced this week. The sentencing was handed down on August 12 by Senior U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins.
According to court records, Tucson police officers executed a search warrant on November 19, 2023 at Guillen-Morales’ residence. Inside, investigators found six firearms, including rifles, and ammunition. Authorities later confirmed she had been convicted in 2012 of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Records also showed that Guillen-Morales was removed from the United States on November 1, 2023, just weeks before the search, and had no legal authority to be in the country at the time of her arrest.
The case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s National Public Safety Partnership (PSP), an initiative aimed at strengthening collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies to reduce violent crime. Since its inception in 2014, the program has worked with more than 60 jurisdictions nationwide, offering technical assistance, training, and data-driven strategies to address community safety concerns.
The Tucson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie A. Sottosanti and Adam Rossi of the District of Arizona.
