A Nevada couple, Jessica Zamora and Treyvon Currie, have been charged with multiple federal offenses after allegedly driving an unregistered car containing a semi-automatic handgun into a top-secret national security facility in North Las Vegas on August 5.
Federal authorities allege that Zamora, 26, and Currie, 31, drove 300 feet inside the property line of the US Department of Energy Nevada National Security Site before being stopped by security guards at a gate.
According to a federal criminal complaint unsealed on August 26, which was reviewed by the Daily Mail, the couple passed multiple warning signs explicitly prohibiting unauthorized entry and firearms before reaching the security checkpoint.
An affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Nick Baranishyn stated that security officers inspected the vehicle and discovered an unregistered Saturn sedan carrying a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol in a bag. Neither occupant held a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Federal prosecutors have charged both Zamora and Currie with attempted entry by fraud on real property of the United States with intent to commit a felony, possession of a firearm in a federal facility, unauthorized entry of Department of Energy property, and unauthorized introduction of a dangerous weapon to Department of Energy property.
Defense Claims Wrong Turn
Despite the serious federal charges, an attorney representing Zamora told the Daily Mail that the entire incident was an innocent mistake caused by navigating unfamiliar roads.
Chris Rasmussen, defense counsel for Zamora, stated that the couple simply made a wrong turn while driving in the area and had no intention of penetrating a sensitive government installation. Court records indicate that Currie does not currently have a listed defense attorney.
"I think they were just lost and drove up to the facility," Rasmussen told the Daily Mail. "I didn't think there's any question that they're not involved in any type of espionage or trying to enter this facility."
Rasmussen added that the background of his client makes claims of covert entry implausible. "Knowing these people, knowing where they live in Las Vegas, knowing their income levels, knowing their background, to consider them somehow attempting to enter some kind of secret facility, it doesn't [make sense]. For what purpose," he said.
The site the couple is accused of attempting to enter is located at 232 Energy Way in North Las Vegas, situated eight miles north of the Las Vegas Strip. It is one of three Nevada National Security Site locations operating within the state of Nevada.
Nuclear Testing Facility Mission
The Nevada National Security Site is a key facility under the direction of the US Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration. The site supports complex national defense programs, environmental monitoring, and scientific research.
According to official Department of Energy documentation, the facility mission includes support for the National Nuclear Security Administration stockpile stewardship program. This work involves conducting subcritical nuclear experiments to evaluate nuclear weapons without full nuclear detonation, as well as storing special nuclear materials.
The Department of Energy website notes that additional operations at the site encompass national security emergency response, environmental remediation, and the development of specialized defense and civil technologies.
Historically established as part of the broader federal nuclear testing complex in southern Nevada, the site maintains stringent security protocols, perimeter controls, and federal law enforcement presence to protect classified operations and hazardous materials.
Confrontation At Security Gate
The criminal complaint details a series of strange behaviors and answers provided by the couple when security officers questioned them at the entrance gate.
When guards asked why they were attempting to access the property, Zamora and Currie acknowledged that they were not facility employees but claimed they were following another vehicle inside for an unspecified purpose.
Currie provided security officers with the names of two individuals he claimed to be following: Damien Frazier and Ashley Jenkins. However, a quick check of facility records showed that neither name matched any active employee at the location.
Upon being informed that the names were not in the system, Currie allegedly began reaching under his seat and moving toward other areas of the vehicle, raising immediate safety concerns among the guards.
The gate officer asked Currie if there was a firearm inside the car, to which Currie allegedly admitted there was. The officer immediately ordered Currie to cease moving, while Zamora told an assisting guard that the firearm was located inside a bag near her feet.
Guards secured the weapon, ordered both occupants out of the Saturn, and conducted a thorough search of the automobile. During the search, officers recovered a memorial card for Damien Frazier, one of the individuals named by Currie. The criminal complaint noted that Frazier had died several weeks prior to the incident.
Investigation Into Las Vegas Shooting
Following the initial confrontation, facility security personnel requested assistance from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Responding officers checked state databases and discovered active notification flags on both individuals linked to a recent violent incident.
Local police took custody of Zamora and Currie to question them regarding a non-fatal shooting that had occurred several days prior in the Las Vegas area.
During police questioning, both Zamora and Currie allegedly confessed to their involvement in the shooting. Investigators reviewed retail surveillance camera footage that showed Currie firing 12 rounds at a fleeing individual following an argument outside a store.
The video recording also allegedly captured Zamora collecting spent bullet casings from the ground after the gunfire ceased. Both individuals confirmed to detectives that the Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun seized at the federal checkpoint was the identical firearm used during the store shooting.
Legal Status And Court Proceedings
Following the investigation, Currie was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on August 10 to face state criminal charges related to the shooting incident.
State court records indicate that Currie was assigned a $5,000 bond. He faces multiple state charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, and five counts of discharging a firearm where persons might be endangered. It remains unconfirmed whether he posted bond.
Jail records show that Zamora was not booked into the Clark County Detention Center and has not been charged with state level offenses connected to the shooting.
Addressing the federal case, attorney Rasmussen stated that Zamora was released from federal custody without restrictive conditions. He anticipated that she will likely receive probation at most for her federal trespassing charges.
Rasmussen acknowledged that the couple's conduct at the security gate appeared odd as written in the complaint, but expressed hope that video or audio recordings of the encounter will reveal the proper context of their statements.
He also criticized the inclusion of the separate Las Vegas shooting investigation within the federal trespassing complaint, arguing that prosecutors were attempting to color up the allegations against his client.
