Guatemalan Nationals Charged for Alleged Possession of Firearms Following IH-35 Road Rage Complaint Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas Dateline: Waco, Texas Date: 5 February 2025 Subjects: American Government , Crime

WACO, Texas – Two Guatemalan nationals were arrested in Waco on criminal charges related to their alleged aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm as undocumented noncitizens.

According to court documents, Anderson Morales-Calderon and Ever Morales-Calderon were subjected to a traffic stop on Jan. 24, by officers from the Troy Police Department (TPD) and Lorena Police Department (LPD) as response to a road rage complaint called into 911. The 911 caller alleged that an individual pointed a rifle at a semi-truck on IH-35. During the traffic stop, officers observed two air rifles and one .22 rifle in plain view in the back seat and on the back floorboard of the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that both Anderson and Ever Morales-Calderon were unlawfully present in the United States.

The two defendants were in federal court in Austin Tuesday for their initial appearances. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are investigating the case with the assistance of the TPD and LPD.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Updated February 5, 2025