A Tampa man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale international firearms trafficking conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday handed down the sentence to Jonathan Rafael Ortega Martinez, 42, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms and trafficking in firearms.
According to court documents, from 2023 until April 2024, Ortega Martinez was part of an operation that recruited individuals known as “straw purchasers” to buy firearms—including Glocks, rifles, and AK-47s—from licensed dealers across Florida. The group then smuggled these weapons overseas, sending them to countries such as the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Authorities determined that more than 1,000 firearms were trafficked during this period, with some later found at crime scenes.
Law enforcement agencies executed three search warrants on April 18, 2024, at residences in the Orlando area. Agents found Ortega Martinez and seized approximately 57 firearms, 30 empty gun boxes, about $16,000 in cash, ammunition, and money counters.
Two other individuals involved in the scheme have also been convicted. Ricardo Sune Giron—who was living illegally in the United States under a false identity and was wanted by Guatemala through an INTERPOL Red Notice—was sentenced on March 11, 2025 to 14 years in prison. Maicor Eliud Cepeda-Garcia received a maximum sentence of 15 years on July 31, 2025.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with support from INTERPOL Washington, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Noah Dorman prosecuted it.
“This case demonstrates our commitment to dismantling illegal gun trafficking networks that threaten public safety both here and abroad,” said Gregory W. Kehoe, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.
