A man from Nevada has admitted guilt in court for buying powerful firearms and ammunition intended for sale to Mexican drug trafficking groups, along with charges related to money laundering and unlawful employment in the U.S., according to Justice Department officials.
Luis Alberto Osorio, involved with co-defendants from April 2020 until September of the previous year, reportedly conspired to acquire 140 firearms, along with magazines and ammunition, to engage with violent drug cartels in Mexico for profitable sales across the border, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nevada.
Documents reveal that the arsenal included high-caliber, long-range weapons like the Ohio Ordnance Works M2-SLR .50BMG, Barrett M82A1, Barrett M107A1 .50BMG rifles, FN Herstal M249S in 5.56x45mm, and FH Herstal SCAR17S in 7.62x51mm.
Moreover, Osorio acknowledged unlawfully employing workers at his mining company located in Nevada.
He has pleaded guilty to one count of straw purchasing a firearm, one count of firearms trafficking, one count of harboring unauthorized aliens, and a count of conspiracy to launder money.
If found guilty on all charges, he could face a maximum sentence of 70 years in prison.
“Gun trafficking networks create chaos in border communities and bolster violent cartels that distribute illegal drugs in our neighborhoods,” said Sigal Chata, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada. “By breaking this supply chain and holding those responsible accountable, we are directly undermining the operational capacity of these dangerous criminal groups.”
Osorio’s sentencing is scheduled for February.
“The flow of military-style weapons and ammunition to Mexican drug trafficking organizations escalates violence, fortifies criminal networks, and endangers communities on both sides of the border,” remarked Jonathan Sherwin, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Las Vegas. “This guilty plea stems from dedicated efforts by HSI, the Homeland Security Task Force, and our federal, state, and local partners aimed at disrupting the channels of weaponry, funding, and support that facilitate these organizations’ activities.”
This case is part of ongoing initiatives by the Homeland Security Task Force, an effort initiated by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office last year.
“In the realm of organized crime and drug trafficking, firearms and drugs are closely intertwined,” stated David S. Oleski, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Nevada. “As a member of the Homeland Security Task Force, the DEA and our allies will mobilize all available resources and expertise to hold accountable those individuals and entities that threaten public health and safety through drug and firearms trafficking.”
