NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A man previously charged in connection with an investigation into “suspected human trafficking” faces a federal firearm charge, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A Friday press release revealed 28-year-old Elmer Humberto Aparicio Castillo faces a federal charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
He was one of five arrested following a joint effort by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), the Department of Homeland Security, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI. On Jan. 8, those agencies executed a search warrant in the 2300 block of Hobson Pike involving “suspected human trafficking,” a spokesperson from the MNPD said.
Aparicio Castillo was previously charged with promoting prostitution, evading arrest, felony marijuana possession and felony gun possession. The ATF located a semi-automatic pistol in the brush where Aparicio-Castillo was arrested. He later told the MNPD the gun was his.
Friday’s press release added officers conducted a safety sweep during the execution of the search warrant and recovered a Glock 23, a Glock 4 .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine and a capacity of 31 rounds, which was loaded with 19 nine-millimeter rounds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee said Aparicio Castillo waived his Miranda rights and admitted the pistol had been in his possession and he threw it as he ran from the house.
“This prosecution demonstrates our continued commitment to enforcing the law, especially against those who are prohibited from carrying firearms,” acting U.S. attorney Robert E. McGuire added in the press release.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee said Aparicio Castillo is a Venezuelan citizen unlawfully present in the U.S. with a criminal history related to immigration offenses.
