Josue Mazariegos-Ramirez, 29, of Gary, was arrested after a Nov. 7 traffic stop near Calumet Avenue and Fisher Place in Munster. Officers reported finding a revolver, marijuana and a glass pipe inside the vehicle.

An officer on patrol saw a tan 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe with only one working headlight as it traveled north on Calumet Avenue. The officer stopped the vehicle near Fisher Place. Mazariegos-Ramirez was the sole occupant.

He identified himself using an international translation of a driver’s license, according to the probable-cause affidavit. He told the officer he was going home to Gary, did not have a driver’s license from any country and expected to get one in a few weeks, after his bank account had been open for a year. He also said he did not have insurance and that the vehicle belonged to his girlfriend. The officer used a translation feature on his body camera to communicate with him.

The officer reported smelling marijuana inside the vehicle. Mazariegos-Ramirez said there might be a small amount inside and that his girlfriend had been smoking. During a search, officers found a clear bag containing a green, plant-like substance on the front passenger floorboard. It field-tested positive for marijuana and weighed 0.7 grams.

Officers also found a silver .38-caliber revolver in the glove box, along with four live cartridges. A multicolored glass pipe with burnt residue was also in the glove box. The residue field-tested positive for marijuana.

Mazariegos-Ramirez had denied there were weapons in the vehicle, the affidavit states. After officers found the revolver, he told an officer that his girlfriend might have left her weapon there.

The affidavit also says a criminal-history check showed Mazariegos-Ramirez had a “pending felony charge for possession of cocaine/narcotic drug” stemming from a Hammond Police Department arrest on Oct. 12, 2026. It lists the Hammond case and says no disposition was available, indicating the case remained pending. The affidavit states the pending case indicated Mazariegos-Ramirez was prohibited from carrying a handgun.

A detective contacted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, who checked Mazariegos-Ramirez’s passport information. The agent reportedly told investigators there was no record of him entering the United States through a lawful port of entry and that the information on the Guatemalan passport belonged to a Venezuelan citizen. The agent also told investigators Mazariegos-Ramirez was not lawfully present in the United States. The affidavit says the passport had no stamps, stickers or labels on its 32 visa pages.

Mazariegos-Ramirez was taken to the Lake County Jail. 

Charges filed November 10,2026:

Unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien — Level 6 felony

Unlawful carrying of a handgun — Class A misdemeanor

Possession of marijuana — Class B misdemeanor

Operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license — Class C misdemeanor

Possession of paraphernalia; introducing a controlled substance into the body — Class C misdemeanor

Operating a motor vehicle without financial responsibility — Class A infraction

Improper headlights — Class C infraction