Edgar Yovani Perez-Gutierrez, a 40-year-old citizen of El Salvador, has been sentenced to just over one year in prison after pleading guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. The sentencing took place on January 8, 2026, with U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon ordering Perez-Gutierrez to serve 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced the sentence, noting that Perez-Gutierrez was found with a Glock handgun on April 10, 2025. Authorities from the New Orleans Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) arrested him for immigration violations.
The investigation into Perez-Gutierrez’s case was led by the FBI, ICE-ERO, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman from the Narcotics Unit prosecuted the case.
According to the announcement, this prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America. The initiative seeks to use resources from across the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime perpetrators. Operation Take Back America coordinates efforts with programs such as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
“Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).”
