U.S. courts continue to be filled with Venezuelans facing serious charges. A jury trial is scheduled for September 8, 2025, for a Venezuelan lacking legal immigration status in the U.S., accused of illegal possession of firearms in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks has set the trial date for Osneiver Jesús Valero Hidalgo to call for jury selection on September 3 at 11:00 a.m. in the West Palm Beach Division, with the trial effectively starting on September 8 at 9:00 a.m. in the same division.
Valero Hidalgo faces criminal charges and an affidavit submitted to the Southern District Court of Florida, accusing him of possessing firearms while being an illegal alien, specifying the sections of the United States Code that he allegedly violated.
The affidavit, prepared by a special agent from the Department of Homeland Security, outlines the facts establishing probable cause for the arrest, including the undercover purchase of firearms, the lack of legal immigration status of the accused, and his subsequent admission of guilt.
The Criminal Complaint
Osneiver Jesús Valero-Hidalgo, a Venezuelan citizen without legal immigration status in the United States, was arrested on July 2, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The arrest resulted from an undercover operation in which the accused purchased two firearms.
The charge is based on the possession of firearms by an illegal alien, who, according to gathered information, entered the country in 2022, was granted parole, and currently has a pending asylum request. However, his parole expired, leaving him without legal status.
The accused was apprehended in Eagle Pass, Texas, on August 9, 2022, for “inadmissibility of foreign national” (8 U.S.C. 1182) and “unlawfully present foreign national” (INA section 212(a)(6)(A)(i)).
He was paroled into the U.S. on August 10, 2022, as an alternative to detention, but that parole expired on October 10, 2022. Valero-Hidalgo requested asylum on June 16, 2023, which is “currently pending.”
Osneiver Jesús Valero-Hidalgo entered the U.S. without inspection and later applied for asylum, which currently makes him an individual without legal status and he is considered a “prohibited possessor under federal firearms law.”
Possession of Firearms
The affidavit from HSI Special Agent Elvis Medina establishes probable cause for the prosecution of Osneiver Jesús Valero-Hidalgo for possession of firearms in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(5)(A) and 924(a)(8).
The undercover operation revealed that on June 29, 2025, Valero-Hidalgo contacted an HSI agent to inquire about purchasing firearms. This conversation was recorded, during which the accused expressed his intent to buy firearms, specifically a “Draco” and “AK-style rifles.”
The undercover agent informed Valero-Hidalgo that he had the firearms available, sent him videos via WhatsApp, and the accused agreed to buy them for USD 1,800. The transaction took place on July 2, 2025, in the parking lot of Home Depot at 6800 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, Florida.
The firearms purchased by Osneiver Jesús Valero-Hidalgo in the undercover operation included:
One (1) semi-automatic pistol Zastava Arms Serbia, model PAP M85NP, caliber 5.56 mm (AK-47 variant).
One (1) rifle Cugir Arms Factory Romania, model GP WASR-10, caliber 7.62 x 39 mm (AK-47 variant).
The meeting and the transaction were recorded on audio and video, showing Valero-Hidalgo handing over USD 1,800 in cash and receiving the firearms.
The Arrest and Admission of Facts
Immediately following the transaction, Valero-Hidalgo was arrested without incident while in possession of the firearms and as the only occupant of the vehicle. Upon noticing the agents, the accused “threw the firearms onto the back seat of the vehicle.”
After being read his Miranda rights in Spanish by a native Spanish-speaking agent, Osneiver Jesús Valero-Hidalgo admitted the facts and acknowledged he was aware that he could not legally purchase firearms because he is unlawfully present in the United States.
Facing the charges, Valero-Hidalgo could receive a maximum prison sentence of 15 years; the possibility of supervised release for up to 3 years; and a maximum fine of USD 250,000. Additionally, he may be deported or removed from the United States after serving his sentence.