Port St. Lucie Man Convicted at Trial for Participating in a Conspiracy to Export AR-15 Firearms to Costa Rica

MIAMI - On Nov. 20, a federal jury convicted Gabriel Donato-Mendez, 48, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., of conspiracy to export United States defense articles and of attempted smuggling of defense articles.

Over a six-month span in 2018 and 2019, Donato-Mendez bought over 150 AR-15 "kits" which consisted of the pieces required to make AR-15 firearms after minor drilling and assembly. On March 4, 2019, Donato-Mendez transported at least 84 AR-15 kits from a store in Daytona, Fla., to a freight forwarder where the kits were destined to be exported to Costa Rica. In 2019, AR-15s and their parts were on the United States Munitions List as "defense articles" and required a license from the Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls to be exported. Neither Donato-Mendez nor any of his known conspirators possessed a license to export AR-15 kits from the United States.

Donato-Mendez is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025 before Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. Donato-Mendez faces up to ten years on the attempted smuggling count and five years on the conspiracy count. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.

HSI Miami, HSI Fort Pierce, and ATF Fort Pierce investigated the case. The Costa Rican Organismo de Investigación Judicial (National Judicial Police) and U.S. Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) provided invaluable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Rosenfeld and Stefan Diaz Espinosa are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20075.

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