Man sentenced after Las Cruces gas station incident involving handgun threat
A man was sentenced to 18 months in prison after a Las Cruces gas station incident where prosecutors say he threatened a victim with a handgun.
Federal case stems from May 2025 confrontation in which prosecutors say a handgun was pointed at a victim
Organ Mountain News report
ALBUQUERQUE - A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison following a confrontation at a Las Cruces gas station that led to a firearms charge, according to federal prosecutors.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on the morning of May 12, 2025, when Moustafa Mahmoud Abdelnabi Salem allegedly pulled a handgun, chambered a round and pointed it at a victim during an encounter at the gas station.
The victim flagged down a Las Cruces police officer nearby and reported the incident.
When questioned, Salem denied pointing the firearm and claimed the other person had threatened him with a knife. He also refused to allow the officer to retrieve the handgun from his vehicle, according to court records.
Investigators later determined Salem had overstayed a visitor visa and was in the United States without legal status. Surveillance footage from the gas station captured the encounter and indicated Salem was the aggressor, according to court documents.
Salem, a citizen of Egypt who had overstayed his visitor visa, pleaded guilty to being an undocumented immigrant in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits individuals without legal status from possessing firearms.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and is expected to face deportation proceedings after completing his sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
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