CHICAGO — A Chicago police officer accused of using his law enforcement status to purchase guns as part of a smuggling operation is now facing federal charges.
According to a recently unsealed indictment, Chicago police officer Kevin Rodriguez and his co-defendant Diego Valdez have each been charged in connection with a scheme to purchase firearms only available to law enforcement in order to smuggle them down to Mexico.
Illinois law bans the purchase of assault weapons by private citizens, but there are exceptions for law enforcement officials.
Prosecutors alleged that as part of the scheme, Rodriguez purchased the guns under false pretenses by allegedly lying on federal documents regarding who they were being purchased for.
According to prosecutors, on multiple occasions between September 2024 and December 2024, Rodriguez allegedly used his CPD credentials to purchase guns in Illinois and Indiana, and falsely claimed that he was the buyer, when they were actually going to Valdez to be smuggled to Mexico.
Prosecutors alleged that Valdez did not have and had not applied for legal permission from the state of Illinois to possess an assault weapon.
The indictment further alleges that Valdez then transferred money to Rodriguez through Zelle to pay for the weapons.
In the indictment, prosecutors detailed several transactions that allegedly unfolded in September of 2024, including the alleged purchase of a Valhalla model WLA15A, 5.56mm rifle and a Valhalla model M4E1, 5.56mm pistol, which were allegedly smuggled to Mexico by Valdez in December of that year.
“The Chicago Police Department has no tolerance for criminal actions by any of our members. The alleged actions of this one police officer do not represent the lifesaving work being done by our department,” a CPD spokesperson said.
Officials from the Chicago police department said Rodriguez was placed into no-pay status immediately following the federal indictment and was relieved of his police powers in June 2025.
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