Undocumented immigrants arrested in Waynesboro on weapons charges

The Waynesboro Police Department arrested three undocumented immigrants from Mexico Friday afternoon when they were stopped on a traffic stop with a semi-automatic handgun among them.

Fidel Moreno Pina, 35 years old;Israel Arista Vega, 34 years old; Javier Lopez Gomez, 35 years old all face a single felony count of Possession of a Firearm by “any Person who is not a citizen of the United States and who is not lawfully present in the United States. §18.2-308.2:01.”

On Friday at approximately 1:15 p.m., an officer with the department’s Special Operations Division who was acting on a tip stopped a 2007 Hummer in the 1000 block of Albemarle Avenue.  During the traffic stop, officers searched the vehicle and found a Bersa Thunder380 semi-automatic handgun.

All three men were determined to be undocumented aliens.  Officers notified agents with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.  ICE put detainers on all three individuals.  Vega was already pending deportation having overstayed his visa by a year.

This is the same area of Albemarle Avenue where two prior drug raids by the Police Department have netted marijuana, methamphetamine and four arrests.  It is also the same area where a home invasion armed robbery occurred on Sept. 18.