Honduran citizen living illegally in Roanoke admits to selling ten guns, including a short-barrel shotgun, to an undercover undercover ATF informant
Roanoke, Virginia – A 42-year-old man living illegally in Roanoke has pleaded guilty in federal court after selling multiple firearms—including a short-barrel shotgun—to a confidential informant working with federal authorities. The man, Alcides Castro-Martinez, a citizen of Honduras, entered his guilty plea on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
Seven Undercover Purchases Lead to Federal Charges
According to court documents, between February 2025 and August 2025, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a series of seven controlled firearm purchases using a confidential source. Over that six-month period, Castro-Martinez sold a total of ten firearms, including a short-barrel shotgun, directly to the undercover source. Each exchange involved personal delivery by Castro-Martinez himself.
He has now pleaded guilty to one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, a serious federal offense. The sale and possession of firearms by individuals living in the United States illegally is strictly prohibited under federal law.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, jointly made the announcement following the plea.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Parrella and Special Assistant United States Attorney Juan Vega, who also serves as an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office.
No sentencing date has been announced yet.
