The American citizen Roland Alberto Muñoz, also known as Román Alberto Muñoz Reza, was arrested by Mexican authorities in Chihuahua for his alleged involvement in arms trafficking. According to the Attorney General's Office of Chihuahua, Muñoz was a supplier for the criminal group 'La Empresa', linked to the Juárez Cartel, operating in the capital city and along the border with the United States.
Investigations revealed that Muñoz bought weapons in the United States and sold them to cartels in Mexico. Three of the weapons sold by him were linked to violent events, such as the attack on an employee of the National Institute of Migration in 2022, where ministerial agents died, and an ambush on police in Bocoyna in 2018.
Another incident where connections to Muñoz were found was the attack on the Secretary of Citizen Security of Mexico City, Omar García Harfuch, in 2020. The modus operandi of the American was to take advantage of his citizenship to acquire weapons in the United States and then trade them in Mexico.
Muñoz's arrest was carried out on the outskirts of Chihuahua in a joint operation between Mexican and American authorities. The armorer, 41 years old and originally from Dallas, Texas, was being sought by federal agencies in the United States for illegal firearms trafficking. He is expected to be handed over to U.S. authorities for prosecution.
Authorities continue to investigate how Muñoz managed to cross weapons into Mexico and mention that his activity had decreased due to the border closure during the administration of Donald Trump. The intensified border surveillance by the United States has made arms trafficking operations more difficult, which ultimately led to Muñoz's capture in Mexican territory.
