TALLAHASSEE — A federal grand jury has indicted a 30-year-old illegal alien from Mexico on one count of possession of ammunition after an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin announced.
Emiliano Rafael Hernandez Escamilla, Jr., of Pensacola, faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted. He appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo in the Northern District of Florida, one of 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide. Trial is scheduled for June 22, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Tallahassee before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from possessing firearms or ammunition. The charge against Hernandez falls under the broader umbrella of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime.
The Heekin-led Northern District of Florida office has pursued multiple immigration-related firearms and ammunition cases since the operation launched. Bay County, which includes Panama City, has seen increased federal-local cooperation on immigration enforcement through joint investigations between Homeland Security Investigations and local sheriff’s offices.
An indictment is an allegation by a grand jury and is not evidence of guilt. Hernandez is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which the government bears the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hernandez’s trial before Judge Walker is set for June 22 in Tallahassee.