An Elko man pleaded guilty to buying 140 guns for drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, laundering proceeds from firearm sales, and employing people unlawfully residing in the United States at a Nevada mining company.
According to court documents, Luis Alberto Osorio and his co-defendants purchased guns, magazines, and ammunition at the request of people affiliated with drug trafficking organizations operating in Mexico. The items were then sold in Mexico for profit.
The activity occurred from April 1, 2020, to September 17, 2025, according to court documents. Among the 140 guns were multiple large-caliber and long-range weapons, including the Ohio Ordnance Works M2-SLR .50 BMG, Barrett M82A1 and M107A1 .50 BMG anti-materiel rifles, FN Herstal M249S 5.56x45mm rifles and FN Herstal SCAR 17S 7.62x51mm rifles.
Osorio also admitted that he harbored people unlawfully residing in the United States.
“Firearms trafficking networks feed the violent cartels that terrorize border communities and pump illicit drugs into our neighborhoods,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “By cutting off this supply chain and holding this defendant accountable, we are directly disrupting the operational capabilities of these dangerous criminal organizations.”
Osorio pleaded guilty to one count each of straw purchasing of firearms, trafficking in firearms, harboring certain aliens, and conspiracy to money launder.
The charges carry a combined statutory maximum penalty of 70 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 11, 2027. The sentence will be determined by the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider many variables.
The investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Task Force, which included special agents from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Jonathan Sherwin, deputy special agent in charge for HSI Las Vegas, said the investigation was aimed at disrupting the movement of weapons, money and criminal support.
“Trafficking military-style firearms and ammunition to drug trafficking organizations in Mexico fuels violence, strengthens criminal networks and threatens communities on both sides of the border,” said Jonathan Sherwin, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for HSI Las Vegas. “This guilty plea is the result of relentless work by HSI and the Homeland Security Task Force and our federal, state and local partners to disrupt the flow of weapons, money and criminal support that allows these organizations to operate.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge John Wester of the San Francisco Field Division said the case demonstrates the coordinated work of the task force.
“This case serves as an example of the effectiveness of the Homeland Security Task Force’s (HSTF) coordinated efforts in the region,” said Special Agent in Charge John Wester, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Through our participation in HSTF, ATF is working to disrupt major gun and drug trafficking organizations alongside DEA, FBI, HSI, and local partners. We are removing a significant cache of firearms, dangerous narcotics, and illicit proceeds from our neighborhoods. We are dedicated to our commitment of ensuring public safety. ATF and our partners will continue to honor our pledge by targeting violent offenders, trafficking organizations, and the criminal infrastructure that is the foundation for violence in the region.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles Field Division, which covers Nevada, also participated in the task force investigation.
“In the world of organized crime and drug trafficking, guns and drugs go hand-in-hand,” said David S. Olesky, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which covers Nevada. “As a member of the Homeland Security Task Force, DEA and our partners will bring to bear all resources and draw on the full scope of our agencies’ expertise to hold accountable those individuals and organizations which pose a public health and safety threat to our communities through the trafficking of drugs and firearms.”
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
The investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The task force is a federal, state and local partnership focused on criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.
The Las Vegas Homeland Security Task Force includes agents and officers from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada leading the prosecution.
