LAS VEGAS, NV – Nicolas Santos, 22, is headed to federal prison for 70 months after admitting to a sprawling conspiracy that put deadly weapons and dangerous drugs onto the streets of Las Vegas. U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey handed down the sentence Monday, followed by four years of supervised release, bringing a measure of closure to a case that exposed a brazen disregard for the law.
Santos pleaded guilty in September 2022 to one count of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. The investigation, spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), revealed a network actively working to profit from both illegal gun sales and the deadly opioid crisis.
Court documents detail how Santos, alongside co-defendants Wilfred Santos and Martin Magallon, operated outside the law, peddling firearms – including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and personally made AR-style weapons – without the required Federal Firearms License. The operation wasn’t limited to legal weapons; the trio also dealt in a stolen rifle and shotgun, and crucially, Glock switches – devices that transform semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns. This isn’t just about illegal sales, it’s about turning ordinary guns into instruments of mass carnage.
But the conspiracy didn’t stop at firearms. Between July and August of 2021, Santos also conspired to distribute fentanyl and Alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax. The combination of readily available firearms and potent narcotics paints a grim picture of the dangers facing Las Vegas residents. In June 2021, authorities discovered Santos possessed a Glock switch, further solidifying the severity of his involvement in arming criminals.
The attempt to cover his tracks didn’t fare well either. While incarcerated at the Henderson Detention Center, Santos allegedly attempted to obstruct the investigation by instructing his girlfriend to delete evidence related to the federal charges. This act of desperation only compounded his legal woes. U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the ATF announced the sentencing.
The ATF urges anyone with information regarding illegal firearms activity to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or through the ReportIt mobile app. Assistant United States Attorney Allison Reese is prosecuting the case, determined to dismantle these dangerous networks and hold those responsible accountable. This case serves as a stark reminder of the ATF’s commitment to disrupting the flow of illegal weapons and narcotics into our communities.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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