An illegal immigrant was arrested after carrying a fully loaded firearm

An illegal immigrant was arrested after carrying a fully loaded firearm, a gun suppressor, extra ammunition and handcuff keys when he unlawfully entered the United States by driving a motorcycle around the international barriers outside the Haskell Library in Derby Line. Julio Paredes, 46, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Burlington last week to unlawfully possessing a loaded .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol while being an illegal alien in the United States. He also denied a second felony charge of being in the United States while an Immigration removal order was still outstanding. A search of the motorcycle bags showed a .22 caliber semiautomatic pistol with a fully loaded magazine. Five additional .22-caliber magazines, two Glock 9-mm magazines and a suspected suppressor that could be threaded onto the barrel of the .22-caliber. Agents also found multiple knives, a collapsible steel baton, several handcuff keys, zip ties and three cell phones. Loomis said Romero-Paredes is believed to have entered the United States initially in 2005 on a visitor’s visa and never left when it expired. If convicted, Paredes faces up to 15 years in prison on the firearm charge and up to 2 years on the illegal immigration charge.