A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued this week, charging two illegal aliens with possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, and Chief Nathan Kent of the Mayfield Police Department made the announcement.
According to the complaint, Rodrigo Waldemar Caal-Caal, 22, a citizen of Guatemala, and Rodolfo Ruiz-Hernandez, 26, a citizen of Mexico, were charged with possessing a firearm on April 6, 2025, in Mayfield, Kentucky, knowing they were aliens illegally and unlawfully in the United States.
Caal-Caal and Ruiz-Hernandez admitted to possessing a firearm by removing it from the scene of a death investigation in Mayfield on April 6, 2025.
The Mayfield Police Department continues to investigate the death. Both defendants are separately charged in state court with additional offenses.
The ATF Paducah Satellite Office, HSI Paducah Office, and the Mayfield Police Department are investigating this case.
Both defendants remain in state custody and will make initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at a later date.
If convicted on the charges in the complaint, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
