HOUSTON – Several people have been arrested as part of a sprawling investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into guns bought in the Houston area winding up in Mexico. KPRC 2 Investigates learned at least one of those guns wound up at the scene of a massacre.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Khalid Abdullaziz, 32, is accused of selling firearms to a felon.
Federal officials and property records show Abullaziz as the owner of Zeroed In Armory in Pearland. A sign on the front gate of the business and the gun store’s website read by appointment only. A number for the company stated the voicemail is not monitored. KPRC has also not yet received a response to an email requesting comment.
An individual who answered the door at an address listed for Abdullaziz declined to comment.
A total of six people have been arrested in this investigation. One of those detained is Victor Camacho. He was pulled over in Fort Bend County in December. During a detention hearing in federal court, an ATF agent testified as to what was found in Camacho’s car after it was searched.
“A .50-caliber rifle with an obliterated serial number in the trunk of the vehicle, along with approximately 100 rounds of .50-caliber ammunition,” the agent testified.
The agent also testified rifle parts and magazines for ammunition were found in the car.
“The way that they’re packaged, is that consistent with anything you’ve seen?” an assistant U.S. Attorney asked during the December 2019 hearing.
“Firearms trafficking,” the agent replied.
Court documents also point out: “The defendant does not have a job but was able to spend $11,500 on just two firearm purchases in the past month.”
Court documents also showed Camacho crossed into Mexico 31 times since September 2019. Seventeen of those crossings came in November.
Agents furthered testified a man by the name of Israel Chapa admitted to selling several guns to Camacho, including two .50 caliber rifles.
Court documents stated one of those rifles was recovered in Mexico in December of last year following a raid on a city hall by suspected cartel members. Online news reports stated at least 21 people were killed during a gun battle in the town of Villa Union.
“And those were the same ones that ATF traced from the scene of that crime in Mexico?” a federal prosecutor asked.
“Well, one of them was,” the agent responded.
More testimony was given that at the time of his arrest in Fort Bend County, Camacho was wanted in Brownsville on misdemeanor charges of firing a gun at a business. A federal magistrate then ordered Camacho held in custody until his trial.
“I don’t think I can set any conditions that he’ll follow that will keep the community safe from him and his guns,” the judge said.
A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s stated, in addition to Abdulaziz’s arrest on April 29: Isaac Rodriguez, 25, Israel Chapa Jr., 24, Steve Baranowski, 23, and Ashley Giddens, 26, were also taken into custody on related charges.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.