Fort White Man Indicted for Conspiring to Transfer Firearms to Mexico

Gainesville, Florida – Jose Manuel Barron, 31, of Fort White, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for conspiracy to transfer firearms to a nonresident. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge. Barron appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for September 2, 2026, before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida. Barron faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .