Three Men Charged With Attempted Smuggling Of 89 Firearms

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), Bryan DiGirolamo, announced the arrest of MALIK BROMFIELD, FAIZAN ALI, and KAMAL SALMAN, who are charged with multiple offenses relating to the transporting of 89 firearms, including at least 17 that were reported stolen, and attempting to smuggle those firearms to Canada.  BROMFIELD, ALI, and SALMAN were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court, and detained. 

“As alleged, Malik Bromfield, Faizan Ali, and Kamal Salman were caught transporting more than 80 guns, including short-barreled rifles and stolen firearms, to smuggle them out of the country,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “It is critically important to New Yorkers and Americans to keep illegal weapons out of the hands of criminal actors.  The trafficking of dangerous weapons will be relentlessly pursued by this Office.” 

“These three defendants, including two foreign nationals, allegedly endangered our communities as they attempted to smuggle 89 firearms—17 of which were stolen—into Canada,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  “The FBI is committed to working with our federal and state law enforcement partners to take illegal guns off our streets.”

“Illegal firearms trafficking threatens the safety of our communities and fuels violent crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo.  “ATF New York’s Hudson Valley personnel were proud to assist the FBI-led investigation alongside the New York State Police to help prevent dozens of firearms, including stolen weapons, from reaching the streets.”

As alleged in the Complaint:[1]

On or about May 7, 2026, personnel with the New York State Police (“NYSP”) initiated a traffic stop of a white Ford Explorer (the “Subject Vehicle”) after observing the vehicle commit traffic violations while driving on or near State Route 90.  Upon approaching the Subject Vehicle, troopers encountered BROMFIELD, ALI, and SALMAN.  After asking the occupants to exit the vehicle, the troopers observed that the occupants gave inconsistent and evasive accounts in response to NYSP questioning. During the interview, ALI consented to a roadside search of his person, during which a trooper recovered an expired Pakistani National Driving Permit issued to an Afghan national in another name concealed in ALI’s buttocks.

An NYSP canine conducted a sweep of the exterior of the Subject Vehicle and alerted to the potential presence of narcotics. During a preliminary search of the Subject Vehicle, the troopers observed an unusually heavy suitcase, which was found to contain a large cache of firearms:

Additional firearms were recovered in the backseat area of the Subject Vehicle:

BROMFIELD, 22, a citizen of Canada, ALI, 25, a citizen of Pakistan, and SALMAN, 22, a citizen of Canada, the United States, and Jordan, are each charged with one count of smuggling from the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of unlicensed dealing in firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of transporting stolen firearms in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.   BROMFIELD is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The statutory maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. 

Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the New York State Police - Troop F, Community Stabilization Unit, FBI’s New York Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, and the ATF.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarlitto is in charge of the prosecution.   

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.