A Florida man has been found guilty of attempting to illegally export AR-15 rifle kits to Costa Rica. Gabriel Donato-Mendez, 48, of Port St. Lucie, was convicted by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy to export United States defense articles and attempted smuggling of defense articles.
Between 2018 and 2019, Donato-Mendez purchased over 150 AR-15 “kits” containing the components needed to assemble functional firearms. In March 2019, he transported at least 84 of these kits to a freight forwarder for export to Costa Rica.
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At the time, AR-15s and their components were classified as “defense articles” and required a license from the U.S. Department of State for export. Donato-Mendez did not possess the necessary license.
Donato-Mendez is scheduled to be sentenced on February 7, 2025. He faces up to 10 years in prison for attempted smuggling and 5 years for conspiracy. The judge will determine the final sentence based on various factors, including sentencing guidelines.
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