A Nevada man has pleaded guilty to purchasing a cache of high-powered firearms and ammunition intended for sale to drug-trafficking organizations in Mexico. Luis Alberto Osorio also admitted to money laundering and employing undocumented immigrants in his mining company.

Osorio, of Elko, conspired with co-defendants between April 2020 and September 2025 to acquire 140 firearms, magazines, and ammunition. These weapons were destined for individuals affiliated with violent Mexican drug cartels, with the intention of selling them south of the border for profit, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nevada.

The arsenal included military-grade weapons such as the Ohio Ordnance Works M2-SLR .50 BMG, Barrett M82A1 and M107A1 .50 BMG antimaterial rifles, and the FN Herstal M249S 5.56x45mm and FH Herstal SCAR 17S 7.62x51mm rifles. Osorio also pleaded guilty to illegally employing individuals at a Nevada mining company.

He faces a potential maximum sentence of 70 years in prison on charges including straw purchasing of firearms, trafficking in firearms, harboring certain aliens, and conspiracy to launder money.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada stated that firearms trafficking networks supply violent cartels, fueling crime and illicit drug distribution. She emphasized that disrupting this supply chain directly impedes the operational capabilities of these dangerous organizations.

Jonathan Sherwin, deputy special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas, noted that trafficking military-style firearms to drug cartels exacerbates violence, strengthens criminal networks, and threatens communities on both sides of the border. He credited the guilty plea to the coordinated efforts of HSI, the Homeland Security Task Force, and federal, state, and local partners in disrupting the flow of weapons, money, and criminal support.

The case is part of an initiative by the Homeland Security Task Force. David S. Olesky, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, highlighted the connection between guns and drugs in organized crime, pledging that the task force will utilize all available resources to hold accountable those who threaten public health and safety through illicit trafficking.

Osorio’s sentencing is scheduled for February.