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Texas Man Linked to Gun in ICE Agent's Death
Three men arrested in months-long Zeta drug cartel gun trafficking probe.
WASHINGTON, March 1, 2011 -- The Texas man who allegedly bought one of the guns used to kill a U.S. agent in Mexico had been under surveillance as a suspected gun trafficker for a Mexican drug cartel, federal officials said today.
Otilio Osorio, one of three men arrested Monday in East Lancaster, Texas, by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents, allegedly bought the pistol in October 2010, before federal law enforcement became aware that he might be involved in gun-running for the drug cartels.
The criminal complaint and ATF affidavit in the case against Osorio, his brother Ranferi Osorio and Kelvin Morrison, which was released today, said Mexican authorities have made a series of arrests related to the agent's killing and seized three firearms used in the attack.
"One of these firearms recovered is described as a Romaem-Cugir, model Draco, 7.62 pistol with an obliterated serial number," the affidavit said. "The firearm was traced by ATF to Otilio Osorio. ... Ballistic testing conducted on this firearm indicated that it was one of the three firearms used during the deadly assault on ICE Special Agent Zapata's vehicle."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jaime Zapata was killed Feb. 15, when his SUV was forced off the road between Monterrey and Mexico City, allegedly by a group of Zeta gunmen. Zapata and his partner were on official business at the time of the attack.
Two criminal complaints released today reveal that the Drug Enforcement Agency and ATF were tracking the Osorios in November 2010 as part of an investigation into the Zeta drug cartel and their efforts to acquire weapons in the United States to send them to Mexico.
According to the criminal complaint, an ATF confidential informant met with the Osorio brothers on Nov. 9, 2010, along Interstate 35 to obtain guns from them.
"The [confidential informant] spoke with the suspects as the guns were being loaded and clearly established that the suspects knew the firearms were being trafficked to Mexico," the complaint said.
