Federal authorities say a Mexican national unlawfully present in the U.S. has been charged after allegedly firing an AR-style rifle from the Margaret McDermott Bridge during New Year’s Eve festivities, with investigators tying ballistic evidence to recovered weapons and making arrests in the days that followed.
Jose Raul Alarcon Sanchez, identified as a Mexican national unlawfully present in the United States, faces a federal complaint charging him with unlawfully possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas announced. The case centers on rounds fired over a crowded bridge during downtown Dallas fireworks on New Year’s Eve, a dangerous act that put many people at risk. Law enforcement used ballistic evidence and coordinated investigative work to link the incident to Alarcon Sanchez.
Just after midnight on January 1, 2026, Alarcon Sanchez and another man were on the Margaret McDermott Bridge amid numerous stopped cars and people watching the downtown Dallas firework presentations. While standing on the bridge, Alarcon Sanchez and the other individual allegedly took turns filming each other shooting black rifles over the bridge. Witnesses and cameras captured the reckless behavior while crowds below were exposed to flying rounds.
“This type of violent behavior wrought tremendous danger to countless lives on the bridge that night,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. That warning echoed through the investigation as agencies pooled resources and forensic tools to identify the firearms used. The quote underscores how federal prosecutors framed the conduct as a direct public safety threat.
According to the complaint, on January 5, 2026, Dallas Police Department officers recovered seventy-nine 5.56/.223 caliber and four 9-millimeter fired cartridge casings where Alarcon Sanchez and the other man were observed firing the rifles. Investigators continued searching the scene, documenting evidence and preserving ballistic casings for comparison. Those recovered casings formed a critical link between the crime scene and weapons later seized.
They also recovered an additional sixteen 5.56/.223 caliber FCCs, eight 9-millimeter FCCs, and one .40 caliber FCC under the bridge. The volume and variety of casings highlighted the serious nature of the event and the potential for harm to bystanders. Ballistic matching was central to building the connection from scene to suspect.
“Firing a rifle from a crowded bridge in the middle of downtown Dallas posed a serious threat to public safety. Through close coordination with the Dallas Police Department and the use of NIBIN, investigators were able to connect critical ballistic evidence and advance this case. ATF will continue working with our partners to address violent crime and protect our communities,” said ATF Dallas Special Agent in Charge Brian W. Garner. That statement credits interagency work and forensics for moving the prosecution forward.
Court records show that Alarcon Sanchez was arrested on January 1, 2026, by Grand Prairie Police Department officers in response to a “shots fired” call to 911. Alarcon Sanchez had multiple 5.56/.233 live rounds in both of his front pockets when officers detained him. A subsequent search of his van turned up additional 5.56/.223 FCCs, an AK-47 style rifle, and magazines loaded with rounds of a different caliber than those recovered from the bridge.
Authorities executed a federal search warrant at Alarcon Sanchez’s residence on January 28, 2026, where agents and Dallas Police task force officers located multiple firearms in a narrow space between his bed and his closet. The complaint alleges the recovered weapons included a .380 caliber pistol, a 9mm caliber pistol, and three 5.56 caliber AR-15 pistols. Investigators linked one of those AR-15 pistols to the fired cartridge casings found at the Margaret McDermott Bridge.
Agents also found Alarcon Sanchez’s Mexican passport in his room, and court records show he entered the United States in May 2025 on a temporary visitor visa that expired and that he did not request an extension. As alleged, Alarcon Sanchez decided to stay and live in the United States illegally rather than returning to Mexico. That immigration status is central to the federal firearms charge he now faces.
Investigators also located photographs posted on a social media account of Alarcon Sanchez, dated December 28, 2025, and January 1, 2026, showing a man holding two AR-style rifles, which, according to the complaint, are typically chambered in 5.56/.223 caliber and appear to be the same two firearms from the bridge on New Year’s Eve. Those posts provided investigators with visual corroboration linking the suspect to the weapons in question. Social media evidence, paired with ballistic matches, tightened the case against him.
An appearance date for Alarcon Sanchez in federal court has not yet been scheduled. ATF Dallas and the Dallas Police Department, assisted by the Grand Prairie Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Aulbaugh is prosecuting the case, and local and federal authorities say they will keep pursuing similar violent conduct tied to unlawful presence and firearms possession.
