By 5 Towns Central Staff

JERICHO, N.Y. (August 2, 2026) — Three Long Island residents face multiple criminal charges after law enforcement officers intercepted a suspicious transfer of rifles and ammunition in a Nassau County parking lot over the weekend. According to reports, they are all Illegal Alien Cartel members and have been placed in ICE custody.

The incident unfolded when specialized patrols observed three individuals exiting separate vehicles outside a Home Depot along Jericho Turnpike. According to law enforcement disclosures, officers witnessed the group opening a large wooden crate and moving multiple rifles into their personal vehicles.

A subsequent investigation and search led to the immediate arrest of the three men, identified as residents of New Cassel and Central Islip. In addition to the firearms, authorities recovered thousands of rounds of ammunition, several knives, three machetes, a quantity of suspected cocaine, and a forged Social Security card.

The defendants, identified as Gilberto Rivera Lopez, Rudi W. Rivera Lopez, and Manuel Gutierrez Pineda, were charged with multiple counts of failure to safely store firearms, criminal possession of a controlled substance, first-degree loitering, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Additional charges including criminal possession of a forged instrument were also filed. Two of the individuals were formally arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead, while the third received an appearance ticket.

Following the initial arrests, federal immigration authorities placed administrative detainers on defendants determined to be residing in the country without legal status, transferring them into federal custody for deportation proceedings.