New York Agents Recover AK-47 Before It Could Be Used, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison

A 45-year-old Mexican citizen living in the United States illegally has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison after agents found him in possession of an AK-47 style firearm. Hector Javier Herrera Martinez was arrested last fall after investigators noticed he had been trying to acquire rifle magazines.

How the Investigation Unfolded

According to federal officials, the case started taking shape in September 2025, when Herrera Martinez attempted to purchase magazines for a rifle. That purchase caught the attention of investigators.

Not long after, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations moved in. They searched the residence where he was staying and recovered the weapon, identified as a Romarm SA Cugir Model SAR-1, commonly known as an AK-47.

He was arrested the same day and has remained in custody ever since.

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The Sentence and What It Means

This week, in federal court in Albany, U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentenced Herrera Martinez to 10 months behind bars. The court also ordered that the firearm be forfeited.

Officials framed the sentence as a message that illegally possessing a firearm carries real consequences, regardless of whether it was ever used.

A Broader Effort to Reduce Violent Crime

This case is part of a larger federal initiative, Project Safe Neighborhoods, which focuses on reducing violent crime through coordinated law enforcement efforts.

That means federal, state, and local agencies share information and move quickly when a potential threat surfaces, rather than each working on its own.

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Firearm Recovered Before It Could Be Used

Cases like this show how much coordination goes on behind the scenes to keep communities safe.

In this case, officials say the firearm was recovered before it could be used. That matters. Getting a weapon off the street before something happens is a very different outcome than showing up after.