Federal law enforcement arrested two suspected gang members and seized eleven firearms, ammunition, and twenty machine gun conversion devices from a residence in Chicago this week, according to a March 27 announcement.
The arrests of Julian Torres, 19, and Brandon Osorio, 29, follow criminal complaints filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago charging both men with possession of a machine gun. Authorities said the action is part of ongoing efforts to address illegal firearms trafficking and related criminal activity.
Agents conducted a court-authorized search of Torres’s and Osorio’s home in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the city’s Southwest Side. During the search, officials found a short-barrel rifle and ten handguns—one equipped with an extended magazine—as well as twenty machine gun conversion devices that can allow firearms to fire multiple rounds with one trigger pull. Assorted ammunition and firearm accessories were also discovered at the scene.
During a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez on Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirsten Moran said Torres and Osorio are members of the 31st and Morgan Satan’s Disciples street gang. The court was told that their residence served as a hub for alleged illegal activities including firearms trafficking and drug offenses.
The investigation was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office; and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The Illinois Secretary of State Police and Illinois Army National Guard Counterdrug Program provided assistance during the operation.
Officials emphasized that criminal complaints are not evidence of guilt; both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
