LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — An illegal alien from Guatemala will spend the next 48 months in federal prison.
On March 5, 2024, 32-year-old Juan Carlos Contreras-Najarro was indicted by a federal grand jury in a two-count Indictment on being an alien in possession of a firearm and a felon in possession of a firearm. Contreras-Najarro was residing in Little Rock.
He pleaded guilty to the charges on Jan. 21, 2025. He was also sentenced to three years’ supervised release.
A 2024 investigation revealed that Little Rock Police Department officers observed a stolen Honda driven by Contreras-Najarro and conducted a traffic stop.
Officers asked Contreras-Najarro if the vehicle was stolen and if it belonged to him. He told officers the vehicle was “given to him.”
During a search of Contreras-Najarro’s person, officers located a bag containing a small amount of methamphetamine. In the vehicle, officers located a defaced Lorcin .380 caliber firearm between the console and the driver’s seat.
Officers also located a suitcase containing three glass smoking devices and a bag of marijuana inside a jacket on the passenger seat. Officers also found two credit cards belonging to two victims, and five individual checks belonging to separate victims.
A further investigation revealed Contreras-Najarro was a convicted felon who entered the United States illegally approximately 13 or 14 years ago.
Contreras-Najarro’s criminal history includes felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with the purpose to deliver, possession of fentanyl with the purpose to deliver, possession of hydrocodone with the purpose to deliver, and second-degree forgery.
The 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.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Little Rock Police Department assisted in the investigation.
KATV will update the story with new details as they become available.