Gun-Toting, Machete-Wielding NJ Salvadoran Man Charged With Federal Gun CrimesÂ
Friday, May 30, 2025, 11:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
TRENTON, NJ.- A 35-year-old El Salvador national illegally residing in New Jersey is facing up to fifteen years in federal prison after being charged on Tuesday with federal firearms offenses.
According to U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Jose Manuel Menjivar Viera, also known as “Jose Manuel Mejiva,” 35, of El Salvador, illegally residing in Long Branch, New Jersey was charged by federal criminal complaint with one count of Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of Firearms.
Viera Ordered Detained Pending Trial
Viera made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Brendan Day in Federal Court in Trenton, New Jersey, and was ordered detained pending trial.
According to the charging information filed in the criminal complaint, on December 11, 2024, at around 3:00 a.m., members of the Long Branch Police Department responded to multiple 911 Emergency Calls reporting gunfire that was occurring in a Long Branch, New Jersey neighborhood.
Police Officers Identify Viera And Find Guns And Machete
Upon arrival, Police Officers observed an individual, later identified as Viera, riding a bicycle and carrying a large black bag. Police Officers followed Viera before he jumped off the bike and fled into the rear of a nearby residence. Police Officers searched the area where Viera fled and eventually recovered his bicycle and the black bag he was carrying. When Police Officers opened the bag, they found two firearms, a semiautomatic rifle, and a loaded handgun, additional magazines, ammunition, and a machete.
   A short time later, Police Officers found Viera hiding in the bed of a pickup truck parked in the driveway next to the residence. Viera was subsequently identified by agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration, and Customs Enforcement as being an El Salvadoran national and citizen of El Salvador without having legal status to be in the United States.
If convicted at trial, Viera faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Upon a finding of guilt, a U.S. District Court Judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offense and Viera’s prior criminal history. Upon completion of any sentence imposed, Viera will face immediate deportation proceedings and be removed from the country.
“The rules of the federal court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
