Dallas Man Gets 47 Years for Shooting Federal Agent

Victor Solorzano will be an old man when he gets out of federal prison — if he gets out. U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsey sentenced Solorzano, 32, to 567 months (47 years and 3 months) in federal prison Thursday for his role in a southwest Dallas shootout with federal agents in 2015.

On Nov. 19 of that year, Homeland Security Investigations agents went to Solorzano's home to place a court-ordered tracking device on his pickup as part of an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking. As one of the agents installed the device, Solorzano came out of his home with an AR-15 pistol and began shooting at him. Edgar Solorzano, Victor's cousin, who lived across the street, came out of his home shooting as well, firing at the agent with an AK-47 pistol.

As the cousins continued firing, the agent who installed the device ran back to the pickup in which he'd arrived. When he hopped in the passenger side, the Solorzanos shot the pickup. The agents, who did not fire any shots during the encounter, sped away as the Solorzanos continued to shoot. The cousins shot the agent who installed the device four times, in the hand and foot, but he wasn't seriously injured. According to federal officials, the Solorzanos fired at least 42 shots at the agents and into their pickup.

After the shooting, Edgar Solorzano, who is set to be sentenced next month for his role in the shooting, hid the guns, putting one in his attic and one in a neighbor's backyard. Subsequent searches of the cousins' houses turned up both guns, additional firearms, methamphetamine and materials used to package and distribute the drugs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas. 

"This shocking example of cold-blooded violence in our neighborhoods and against our law enforcement officers is exactly why we will never stop fighting the fight," U.S. Attorney John Parker said Thursday. "Those who traffic in drugs bring nothing but misery and death to our communities and they must be stopped."

In April, a Dallas jury convicted Solorzano of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of assault of a federal officer, and two counts of using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.