MENU
SEARCHA Romarm-Cugir Draco 7.62x39mm that was legally sold by a firearms dealer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area was transported to the Los Zetas cartel operators who used it to attack special agent Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Jr.
The Romarm-Cugir Draco 7.62x39mm is an AK variant of Romanian origin. Photo via GunBroker.com.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has traced a weapon used in the attack on ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata to a Texas man.
A Romarm-Cugir Draco 7.62x39mm that was legally sold by a firearms dealer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area was transported to the Los Zetas cartel operators who used it to attack special agent Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Jr. Agent Zapata was killed during the Feb. 15 ambush.
On Monday, ATF agents arrested three men in Texas believed to be responsible for trafficking weapons to the cartel.
Ranferi Osorio, 27, and his brother, Otilio Osorio, 22, were arrested at their home in Lancaster, Texas. Each is charged with possessing firearms with an obliterated serial number.
An additional defendant, Kelvin Leon Morrison, 25, who lives next door to the brothers, is charged with knowingly making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms and dealing in firearms without a license.
The Romarm-Cugir Draco, a semi-automatic weapon, has been traced to Otilio Osario, who purchased it from Off Duty Enterprise in Joshua on Oct. 10, the ATF announced. Osario is charged with obliterating the gun's serial number, and initial ballistics tests show it was used in the attack, ATF Spokesman Tom Crowley tells POLICE Magazine.
A confidential informant from the ATF's Dallas office arranged a meeting with the Osorios and Morrison in early November, resulting in the seizure of 40 firearms with obliterated serial numbers, according to the ATF.
These guns have seen more frequent use by Mexican drug cartels, Crowley said.
"These are kind of new on the scene," Crowley said. "Gun dealers have access to them. We have techniques to raise serial numbers. It afforded us the opportunity to trace this to the Zetas."
Because of Mexico's strict yet mostly unenforced gun laws, drug cartels will pay as much as a 300 percent mark-up to purchase weapons on the black market. According to intelligence experts, weaponry smuggled to Mexican cartels arrive from a variety of sources that include the U.S., Guatemala, China, South Korea, and the Mexican military.
Related:
Discover how one police department cut crime nearly in half using smarter patrol data. This whitepaper breaks down the real-world strategy behind a 46% drop in vehicle thefts, improved officer safety, and stronger community visibility.
Read More →
The first – and worst – time I had to fight to keep my gun, my holster and duty belt held up far better than my training did.
Read More →
Aimpoint is marking its 50th anniversary in 2025, celebrating five decades of red dot innovation trusted by military, law enforcement, and tactical professionals worldwide.
Read More →
“Our newest weapon light provides an industry-leading level of candela for handguns, giving users enhanced visibility under low light conditions, such as when searching a dark alley,” said Streamlight President Michael F. Dineen.
Read More →
This device by itself, regardless if it is installed on a slide or not, is classified by the ATF to be a machine gun, which is illegal to possess,” the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said.
Read More →
The police department says the largely enclosed new facility will reduce the noise from the shooting range, also used by bomb squad trainees and Correction officers, which has been active since 1960.
Read More →The legislation would permit LEOSA-qualified officers and law enforcement retirees to carry in state, local, and private property otherwise open to the public; national parks; certain federal public access facilities; and school zones.
Read More →
The survey of working officers shows that police have embraced handgun optics with great enthusiasm. Of the officers who completed our entire survey, 77% said their agencies allow them to use handgun optics on duty.
Read More →The new ordinance allows police to use non-lethal weapons such as blast balls and pepper spray but requires those methods to be approved by the chief of police.
Read More →
The design of the 590M provides balance and weight distribution and increased capacity while also allowing for the more compact conditions often required for breaching.
Read More →