District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 210 months in prison for breaking into a Navajo Nation residence and killing a man who tried to stop him from attacking another resident.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of June 27, 2025, Armondo Paul, 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, went to a home in Shiprock, New Mexico. Paul shut off the electricity to the home, kicked open the back door, and then assaulted one of the occupants. When a second occupant, John Doe, attempted to intervene on behalf of the first occupant, Paul stabbed Doe in the neck with a kitchen knife that Paul brought from his own home. John Doe fled his home and died in his own driveway.

Paul pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder in Indian Country. Upon his release from prison, Paul will be subject to five years of supervised release, which will include mandatory mental-health treatment. Paul must also make restitution in the amount of $5,471.37 to the Crime Victims Reparation Commission for Doe’s funeral costs and in a yet-undetermined amount to Doe’s family for costs associated with his crime, to include costs expended for transportation to court hearings and counseling costs.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Bosque Farms man was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm after multiple prior convictions for felonies and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence.

According to court documents, on July 15, 2024, Warren Chewiwi, 52, possessed a 12-gauge shotgun and shotgun shells on the Isleta Pueblo.

Chewiwi is not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition. He has felony convictions both in the State of New Mexico and with the federal government, both of which restrict his ability to lawfully possess a gun. Moreover, Chewiwi has four misdemeanor convictions for crimes of domestic violence on the Isleta Pueblo, which similarly restricts his ability to lawfully possess a firearm. Because of these prior convictions, Chewiwi pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He will be subject to three years supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Isleta Pueblo Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was sentenced to five years in prison for a 2021 assault that left the victim with severe injuries.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on December 16, 2021, Darold ZunieFeathers, 29, and John Doe had been hanging out with friends when they decided to buy more cigarettes before the gas station closed. Instead of driving to the gas station, ZunieFeathers turned down a side dirt road and assaulted John Doe in the car.

During the assault, ZunieFeathers struck John Doe repeatedly and bit him multiple times on the torso, arm, and hand. The bites caused severe damage to John Doe's hand, resulting in the amputation of one finger and the partial amputation of another.

At the time of the assault, ZunieFeathers was on supervised release following a 2017 conviction for involuntary manslaughter.

ZunieFeathers pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Upon his release from prison, ZunieFeathers will be subject to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Zuni Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – After a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted an Albuquerque man of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl following a high-speed pursuit through multiple New Mexico cities.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Tevin King, 33, was the subject of an active federal arrest warrant on August 19, 2024, related to a supervised release violation. Surveillance indicated King was in Hobbs, New Mexico, where agents observed a black Malibu departing a residence and tracked it as it traveled to Portales, New Mexico.

Law enforcement followed the vehicle to a Stripes gas station in Portales. There, the passenger exited the driver’s seat and entered the store, creating an opportunity for agents to move in on the vehicle. King, who had been concealed inside, then moved into the driver’s seat and fled as agents attempted to contain the car.

During the pursuit, King drove at high speed while attempting to evade law enforcement. As agents followed closely, King discarded canvas tote bag from the driver’s side window near Eastern New Mexico University. The bag was observed by law enforcement and also by a civilian who retrieved the bag and delivered it to campus police. The bag contained approximately 16,000 fentanyl pills.

The pursuit continued into Clovis, New Mexico, where King’s vehicle collided with a law enforcement unit in a residential area, ending the chase and resulting in King’s arrest.

King was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that King remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, King faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today.

Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Portales Police Department, Clovis Police Department, the Lea County Drug Task Force, and the Region V Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mease and Natasha Moghadam are prosecuting this case.

The United States has filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction against the State of New Mexico, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, the City of Albuquerque, and Albuquerque Mayor Timothy Keller, alleging that the implementation of House Bill 9 (HB9), entitled the “Immigrant Safety Act,” and Albuquerque City Ordinance O-26-15, entitled the “Safer Community Places Ordinance (SCPO),” infringes on federal immigration enforcement authority.

Through HB9, the State of New Mexico is trying to abolish decades of long-standing, voluntary partnerships between local governments and federal authorities that are essential for enforcing immigration laws and keeping the federal immigration system running as Congress intended. Both HB9 and the SCPO seek to block federal agents from using any local government property to carry out their work. Additionally, by unlawfully requiring private businesses to tip off illegal aliens about immigration enforcement activities, the SCPO attempts to harbor and shield illegal aliens from detection by federal immigration authorities and poses an obstacle to the enforcement of federal immigration law.

“New Mexico is attempting to regulate immigration policy, something the federal government is clearly and uniquely empowered by the Constitution to do,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our filings seek to halt the state’s unconstitutional actions by preserving cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement and allowing federal immigration officials to enforce the law.”

“The State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque seek to intentionally obstruct federal law enforcement by preventing cooperation between local governments and the federal government,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “HB9 and the SCPO unlawfully interfere with federal immigration enforcement, illegally discriminate against federal operations, and violate constitutional protections regarding contracts and federal supremacy. Additionally, by barring public entities from participating in federal immigration detention in New Mexico, HB9 jeopardizes nearly 300 jobs and the economy of Otero County. Our lawsuit asks the court to declare these laws invalid and issue an immediate injunction to stop them from being enforced.”

Upon taking office, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border to address a security and public safety crisis caused by previous Open Border policies. On February 5, 2025, the Attorney General instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations. On August 5, 2025, the Attorney General published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which included Albuquerque, and vowed to bring litigation to end these policies nationwide. Today’s lawsuit in New Mexico is the latest in a series of lawsuits targeting illegal sanctuary jurisdiction policies across the country.

Under President Trump’s mandate, the federal government is exercising its proper constitutional authority to remove criminal aliens from the United States. Central to this mission are long-standing, voluntary agreements between federal and local agencies that allow state and local officials to assist with the investigation, transportation, and detention of illegal aliens. The federal government relies heavily on these partnerships, which have operated successfully in New Mexico for decades, to fulfill its immigration enforcement duties and keep New Mexicans safe.

The case is United States v. State of New Mexico et al., No. 1:26-cv-01471 in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.

The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni woman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after her 2-month-old daughter died from asphyxiation.

According to court documents, on the night of January 25, 2025, Miranda Cachini, 27, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, consumed alcoholic beverages and fell asleep while breastfeeding her 2-month-old daughter in bed. During the night, Cachini rolled over on top of the baby, causing her to pass away by asphyxiation.

Cachini pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and faces up to eight years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man who stabbed an individual three times in the back without provocation was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on April 19, 2025, Matthew David Charley, 30, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, approached John Doe and his friends near a roadside area in Shiprock and introduced himself. After John Doe’s friends briefly left the area, Charley remained with John Doe, who had no prior interaction with him and did not provoke him.

As John Doe began walking away to meet his returning friends, Charley stabbed him three times in the back without warning. John Doe sustained lacerations to his upper back and flank and required emergency medical treatment.

After the attack, Charley fled the scene. When later interviewed by the investigators, he initially denied being in the area. After being confronted with surveillance footage, he admitted he was present but continued to deny the assault.

Charley pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Upon his release from prison, Charley will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Pueblo Pintado man was sentenced to seven years in prison for fatally shooting another man after a night of heavy drinking and a physical altercation.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on March 17, 2025, Thurman Curley, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, shot and killed John Doe following a physical altercation after a night of heavy drinking.

Curley pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Curley will be subject to five years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man pleaded guilty to assault after assaulting a woman at her residence.

According to court documents, on September 16, 2024, Kendrick Harvey, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, went to the home of Jane Doe while intoxicated. There, Harvey assaulted Jane Doe and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury to Doe.

Harvey pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man was charged in federal court after allegedly striking and running over a victim with a car and causing her serious injuries.

According to court documents, on Monday, April 27, 2026, Darius Kyran Eskeets, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly struck the victim with a motor vehicle on a dirt road near a residence in Vanderwagen, New Mexico. During the incident, Eskeets allegedly drove toward the victim and others, causing them to move out of the roadway, before making a U-turn and veering off the road and up an embankment to strike the victim and run the victim over. Eskeets then drove away from the scene.

As a result of the incident, the victim suffered multiple injuries, including cuts to her right leg and hand, bruising, abrasions and contusions to her right side, hematoma, and a small pneumothorax.

Eskeets is charged with two felony crimes, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Eskeets was released to home detention with strict GPS monitoring pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Eskeets faces up to 10 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces bounty hunter is facing federal charges after he allegedly bonded vulnerable individuals out of jail and exploited them through coercion and threats.

According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received information that Robert Jay Hernandez, 62, a bounty hunter working for a bail bond company in Las Cruces, New Mexico, was bonding individuals out of the Doña Ana County Detention Center and requiring them to live at his personal residence. Investigators allege that Hernandez targeted vulnerable individuals, including those struggling with drug addiction and lacking stable housing, and that he exploited them on multiple occasions. Hernandez is specifically alleged to have provided these individuals with drugs and to then have coerced them to perform sexual acts, labor, and other services through threats of being returned to jail.

In one instance in October 2024, Hernandez allegedly bonded a male victim out of custody and required him to perform labor for him, including by assisting in bounty hunting activities without pay, while residing at Hernandez’s home. The victim also reported that Hernandez gave him drugs, including fentanyl, under the guise of medical treatment, even though the victim had not received any prescriptions for any drugs. After the victim left the residence, Hernandez allegedly contacted immigration authorities to report the victim, leading to the victim’s arrest.

In March 2025, Hernandez allegedly initiated contact with a female inmate, made explicit and threatening statements, and later bonded her out. The victim reported that Hernandez coerced her into sexual acts by creating fear that he would return her to jail if she did not do what he said. She also described being located and forcibly returned to custody, with Hernandez pointing a gun at her, after attempting to leave his control.

A third victim reported that after being bonded out in November 2025, Hernandez required her to live with him, controlled her access to fentanyl, and coerced her to engage in sexual acts in exchange for the drugs. She stated she complied out of fear of being returned to jail and to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms.

Witness statements and communications from other inmates further corroborate the allegations, describing Hernandez as targeting female inmates with substance dependencies and expecting sexual favors in exchange for assistance.

Court documents further allege that Hernandez, who has a prior felony conviction, unlawfully possessed multiple firearms.

Hernandez is charged with three counts of forced labor and one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and sex trafficking by means of force, threats, fraud and coercion. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has been scheduled for May 5, 2026. If convicted of the current charges, Hernandez faces up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, Doña Ana County Detention Center, the Las Cruces / Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigation - Las Cruces. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Grant Gardner and Maria Y. Armijo are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – The United States has filed a civil complaint in federal court alleging that a New Mexico psychologist unlawfully prescribed controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose, in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.

In a complaint filed in federal court, the United States alleges that Rick Q. Wilson, aka Henry Quintero, prescribed large volumes of benzodiazepines and other controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice, often without adequate examinations, diagnoses, or treatment.

According to the complaint, Wilson issued more than 21,000 controlled substance prescriptions between 2017 and 2020, frequently prescribing high-dose benzodiazepines such as Xanax and combining them with other central nervous system (CNS) depressants like Ambien. CNS depressants, particularly in combination, can slow breathing and result in death. The complaint alleges Wilson relied on repetitive, unsupported diagnoses, failed to develop individualized treatment plans, and did not conduct appropriate monitoring, including drug screening or use of the state’s prescription monitoring program.

The complaint further alleges Wilson ignored clear warning signs of misuse and diversion, including prescribing to patients with substance use disorders, continuing prescriptions despite evidence of drug abuse or non-use, and accepting primarily cash payments. The government also linked Wilson’s prescribing practices to patient harm, including multiple deaths caused by drug toxicity occurring shortly after receiving prescriptions.

The United States seeks civil penalties for each alleged unlawful prescription.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the government’s investigation. The government’s enforcement is led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Cunniff and Auditor Phillip Stella. 

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.

In the one-week period ending May 1, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 50 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 6 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 48 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 61 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for  indecent exposure to a minor, aggravated robbery, burglary, narcotics trafficking, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, DUI, theft, and prior immigration offenses.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Roswell man was sentenced to 21 months in prison for a series of violent threats to government offices across several states.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on February 14, 2025, Jeffrey Ramon Diaz, 44, made threatening calls to several governmental agencies and offices, including a United States Senator’s office, the New Mexico Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County, the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, and the Governor of Pennsylvania’s office.

During the calls, Diaz identified himself by name and made explicit threats of violence and bombings. He told a congressional staffer he was threatening to bomb the Senator’s office. He left a voicemail for a New Mexico state court judge threatening to blow up the judge’s building and harm the judge. He also spoke directly to an employee at the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, declaring a bomb threat and threatening to set the building on fire. Additionally, Diaz called the Pennsylvania Governor’s office claiming he had placed a bomb in the Governor’s home and threatened to kill those inside.

Diaz pled guilty to four counts of malicious threats to injure by fire or explosive. Upon his release from prison, Diaz will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and A.J. Gibes, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Las Cruces Police Department and Chaves County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher McNair is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer after striking a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer multiple times during an arrest.

According to court documents, on May 29, 2025, Dominic James Isaac Sandoval Peralta, 24, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted and forcibly resisted a Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services officer who was responding to a call at a residence on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. When the uniformed officer attempted to take Peralta into custody, Peralta advanced on him and initiated a physical confrontation, striking the officer multiple times in the head and causing injuries. The officer deployed a taser to subdue Peralta and place him under arrest. Even after being handcuffed, Peralta continued to resist by refusing to comply with commands to enter the patrol vehicle.

Peralta pleaded guilty to assault upon a federal officer involving physical contact and faces up to eight years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dickens is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mexican national has been indicted on federal charges after allegedly using fraudulent immigration and identification documents and another person’s Social Security number to obtain bank accounts, vehicle financing, and consumer loans.

According to the indictment, on or about February 5, 2026, Maria de Jesus Avila-Hernandez, 55, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States, knowingly used and possessed fraudulent immigration and identification documents, including a lawful permanent resident card and Social Security card in the name of another person which she knew were forged or unlawfully obtained. She also falsely represented that Social Security number to obtain things of value, including bank accounts, vehicle financing, and consumer loans, and used that identity without lawful authority in connection with social security fraud.

Hernandez is charged with fraud and misuse of a visa, social security fraud and aggravated identity theft. She will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Hernandez faces up to 10 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho of Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso made the announcement today.

Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the Roswell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amos Nam is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to an assault that left a victim with life-threatening injuries.

According to court documents, on November 18, 2025, Darrell Joe Ben, Jr., 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted the victim while intoxicated. Officers detained Ben at the scene. The victim was transported to a local hospital and received treatment for critical injuries before being transferred to an intensive care unit in Albuquerque.

Ben pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury of a dating partner. He faces up to 15 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona woman was sentenced to five years of probation for driving drunk with her three young children.

According to court documents, on May 4, 2024, the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to multiple reports of a vehicle driven by Avedale Johnson, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, traveling erratically at a high rate of speed on U.S. Highway 491. Officers recorded the vehicle traveling 98 miles per hour. Because of the extreme speed and dangerous driving behavior, officers discontinued the pursuit and continued monitoring the vehicle.

Officers were later dispatched to a vehicle crash in Farmington involving the same vehicle. The vehicle was on fire, and witnesses reported that Johnson and her children had fled the scene. No injuries were reported after evaluation by hospital personnel, except for a minor bump on the head. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Johnson admitted to drinking while driving and said her children were unrestrained in the vehicle. Law enforcement also recovered drug paraphernalia and empty alcohol bottles from the vehicle.

Johnson pleaded guilty to abandonment or abuse of a child and Johnson will be subject to 5 years of probation.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to carrying out a series of violent assaults and a kidnapping that resulted in serious injuries to the victim.

According to court documents, on or about June 30, 2025, Darrin Begay, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted the victim by punching, kicking, and strangling them, causing visible injuries to the victim’s face, neck, and arms.

On or about July 2, 2025, Begay went to the victim’s home, threatened to harm the victim’s family members, and forced the victim into a vehicle. Begay then drove the victim away from their residence. He reportedly assaulted the victim again before pushing them out of the vehicle and leaving them on the roadside.

Begay pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and kidnapping. At sentencing, he faces up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Little Water man pleaded guilty to shooting another man during a drunken altercation.

According to court documents, on July 29, 2024, Anthony Sandoval, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo nation, and John Doe were intoxicated when they got into disagreement. During the altercation, Sandoval shot John Doe. After shooting him, Sandoval called for assistance and admitted to shooting him before fleeing the scene and hiding the firearm.

Sandoval was apprehended that night and the firearm was recovered. John Doe was hospitalized and underwent surgery to repair injuries sustained during the shooting.

Sandoval pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Los Lunas man has been charged in federal court after an undercover investigation allegedly revealed a sustained operation to manufacture, convert, and sell machineguns and a significant quantity of machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as “switches.”

According to court documents, in August and September 2025, an undercover ATF agent identified Robert Gurule, 23, advertising firearms and suspected machineguns for sale on Facebook, including videos of him handling and firing a fully automatic weapon.

The investigation led to multiple controlled purchases during which Gurule allegedly sold firearms equipped with machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as “switches,” and claimed he regularly converted semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons.

On October 2, 2025, Gurule allegedly sold the undercover agent a rifle with a conversion device and a high-capacity drum magazine for $1,600, demonstrating how the weapon functioned as a machinegun and offering to supply additional firearms. He later agreed to sell multiple machineguns, completing a second transaction on December 5, 2025, in which he allegedly sold three machineguns and an additional firearm for a total of $4,600. Laboratory analysis confirmed that the firearms and conversion devices met the federal definition of machineguns.

In April 2026, Gurule allegedly arranged to sell approximately 80 machinegun conversion devices and additional firearms to the undercover agent. On April 24, 2026, Gurule and codefendant Izatah Hausner, 21, met with the agent and displayed the devices and negotiated a sale valued at $11,500. Both men were arrested at the scene after the agent took possession of the conversion devices. During the transaction, Hausner also allegedly offered to sell a firearm and stated he was involved in fentanyl distribution.

“The illegal sale of these conversion devices is a deliberate escalation of violence that puts our community and our officers at extreme risk,’ said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “Since day one, I have worked with a sense of urgency to address our crime problem by getting back to the basics of federal prosecution. My priority remains keeping New Mexicans safe by relentlessly prosecuting those who flood our streets with these illegal weapons.”

"The trafficking of machinegun conversion devices has evolved from a domestic policing issue into a transnational threat,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge A. J. Gibes. These clandestine operations allow criminals to bypass background checks, placing low-cost, high-impact tools in the hands of cartels and violent offenders. Through historic cooperation, the ATF and our partners are targeting these social media-driven networks to close the lethality gap that threatens law enforcement and civilian safety on both sides of the border."

“This investigation is a clear example of what can be achieved through coordinated law enforcement efforts," said New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez. "By working alongside our federal and local partners, we are sending a strong message: the illegal trafficking of machineguns and conversion devices will not be tolerated in New Mexico. We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners to keep our communities safe.”

Gurule is charged with unlawful possession and transfer of a machinegun and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has been scheduled for April 29, 2026. If convicted of the current charge, Gurule faces up to 10 years in prison.

Hausner is charged with aiding and abetting and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has been scheduled for April 29, 2026. If convicted of the current charge, Hausner faces up to 10 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Albert Gibes, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.

This case was investigated by the New Mexico ATF Firearms Trafficking Task Force in collaboration with the New Mexico Department of Justice.  Additional assistance was provided by the Albuquerque Police Department, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bernalillo Police Department.  The New Mexico ATF Firearms Trafficking Task Force works to identify, deter, disrupt, and dismantle Firearms Trafficking Organizations (FTOs) supplying firearms to individuals and groups engaged in our community’s most egregious acts of violence, as well as any associated, violent offenders.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

Machine gun conversion devices and auto sears are illegal devices that transform semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of continuous firing with a single trigger pull. The possession, manufacture, and sale of these devices without proper licensing is a federal offense carrying severe penalties, including up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000.

The proliferation of these devices poses an immediate and critical threat to public safety. Between 2018 and 2023, the ATF recovered thousands of machine gun conversion devices, indicating an alarming trend in their availability and use. Violent street gangs are increasingly employing these devices, devastating communities and neighborhoods with unprecedented firepower.

This dramatic increase in illegal automatic weapons puts both civilians and law enforcement at extreme risk. Officers responding to incidents may find themselves severely outgunned, facing weapons capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. The potential for mass casualties in such encounters is staggering.

Law enforcement agencies are racing against time to intercept these devices before they can be used in violent crimes. Public cooperation is crucial in combating this threat. If you have information about illegal firearms or conversion devices, please contact the ATF immediately:

Call: 1-888-ATF-Tips (1-888-283-8477)

Email: [email protected]

Visit: www.atf.gov/atf-tips

Your tip could save lives and prevent these dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands. The time to act is now, before our community falls victim to the devastating impact of these illegal automatic weapons.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced today the conclusion of the federal prosecution of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) prison gang following the conclusion of recent sentencing hearings. Spanning over a decade, the investigation and subsequent litigation resulted in state and federal charges against 178 members and associates.

Originating in the New Mexico state prison system following the 1980 prison riot, SNM functioned as a violent racketeering enterprise operating both inside correctional facilities and in communities throughout New Mexico, maintaining power through murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and witness intimidation. SNM operated under a "blood in, blood out" philosophy, members were required to commit acts of violence to gain entry into the gang. The federal prosecutions, conducted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) statute, successfully resolved decades of such violence.

The investigation employed extensive and long-term investigative techniques, including more than 110 undercover drug and firearm purchases, dozens of confidential human sources, and court-authorized wire intercepts. Investigators uncovered a coordinated criminal enterprise involving SNM and affiliated gangs that trafficked fentanyl and methamphetamine both inside correctional facilities and in communities across New Mexico, while using violence and intimidation, including targeting suspected cooperators, to maintain control.

Highlights of the investigation and litigation include:

• 156 individuals federally indicted for 325 overt acts between 1980-2024.
• Federal authorities successfully charged and convicted members of 13 murders committed both inside and outside state facilities. These include the 2001 cold-case strangulations of two inmates in state facilities and the 2007 and 2014 killing of two inmates SNM leadership suspected to be cooperators. 🔗 🔗
• Authorities disrupted a 2015 conspiracy to assassinate the then-Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Corrections Department and high-ranking members of the New Mexico State Police in retaliation for the conviction of SNM associate Michael Paul Astorga for the murder of BCSO Deputy Jim McGrane. 🔗
• In October 2022, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of the gang’s leaders, affirming the government’s application of federal racketeering laws to prison-based criminal enterprises. 🔗
• Six jury trials resulting in nine convictions. 🔗🔗🔗🔗🔗🔗
• 12  SNM members sentenced to life in prison: Anthony Ray Baca,  Jody Rufino Martinez,  Robert Padilla,  Angel DeLeon,  Joe Gallegos,  Edward Troup,  Carlos Hererra, Anthony Cordova, Arturo Arnulfo Garcia,  Billy Garcia, Daniel Sanchez, and Sam Silva.
• $1.8 million in cash, 1.1 million fentanyl pills and 160 pounds of methamphetamine seized during the execution of 16 federal search warrants on September 1, 2022.

“This case required years of patience, discipline, and persistence from prosecutors, agents, and staff who stayed with it to the end,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “It was difficult work, but it was necessary work, and this office saw it through.”

"It is impossible to overstate the enormity of this investigation. For more than a decade, our team and partners stayed committed to dismantling violent crime and delivering justice for the victims and communities most impacted by this gang's violence," said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. "Protecting the American people remains the highest priority of the FBI. I want to thank not only the Albuquerque FBI Special Agents and support staff who worked on this investigation, but also the U.S. Attorney's Office, and every other agency who saw this case through to the end."

The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office Violent Gang Task Force (VGTF) investigated the cases with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Corrections, New Mexico State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Correction Center, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Police Department, FBI’s El Paso, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Knoxville divisions, Drug Enforcement Administration’s Albuquerque District Office and the Las Vegas (NM) Police Department. The Las Cruces Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the cases. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man has been charged in federal court after allegedly selling multiple firearms and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement officer.

According to court documents, on September 14, 2025, Pete Kimbell, 41, allegedly spoke to an undercover officer with the New Mexico Region II Narcotics Task Force using coded language and stated that he had multiple firearms for sale. The undercover officer arranged to meet Kimbell the following day to view and purchase the firearms.

On September 15, 2025, the undercover officer met Kimbell at a residence in Kirtland while surveillance units monitored the location and the officer wore a covert recording device. During the meeting, the officer observed and purchased several firearms and multiple boxes of ammunition from Kimbell for approximately $2,100.

As a previously convicted felon, Kimbell is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Kimbell is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has been scheduled for April 29, 2026. If convicted of the current charge, hefaces up to 15 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Farmington Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Rio Rancho Police Department and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been charged with federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses after allegedly supplying nearly five pounds of methamphetamine to undercover officers and later being found in possession of fentanyl, firearms, and ammunition.

According to court documents, on March 26, 2026, Lucas Maldonado, 44, allegedly supplied almost five pounds of methamphetamine to undercover officers from the Albuquerque Police Department. The transaction took place in a parking lot of a business in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Maldonado arrived in a pickup truck accompanied by his 10-year-old son.

During the transaction, an intermediary retrieved a backpack containing methamphetamine from Maldonado’s vehicle and delivered it to an undercover officer in exchange for $7,000. After the exchange, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, taking him into custody without incident.

The following day, investigators executed a search warrant on Maldonado’s vehicle and allegedly recovered fentanyl and methamphetamine, multiple firearms, drug paraphernalia, and approximately $11,000 in U.S. currency, including the controlled purchase money. As a previously convicted felon, Maldonado is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Maldonado is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Maldonado will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, he faces up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department’s Central Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nora Wilson is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.

In the two-week period ending April 24, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 124 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 22 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 125 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 134 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for sexual assault of a minor, narcotics trafficking, robbery, DUI, illegal weapons possession, alien smuggling, child molestation, narcotics trafficking, drug possession, unauthorized use of a vehicle and prior immigration offenses.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Texas man who fled a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint at high speed, drove into oncoming traffic, and killed a motorcyclist while transporting nearly 10 kilograms of methamphetamine has been sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on November 8, 2023, Jeffery Christopher Saint Louis, 29, approached a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 54 and, after being referred to secondary inspection, fled at a high rate of speed. Law enforcement officers observed Saint Louis driving recklessly, reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, swerving between vehicles, and ultimately driving into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road.

As the pursuit continued, Saint Louis collided head-on with a motorcyclist, killing the victim at the scene. Data recovered from the vehicle later showed that Saint Louis was traveling approximately 71 miles per hour at the time of impact and did not apply his brakes before the crash. After the collision, his vehicle veered off the road into a nearby brush, where responding officers detained him.

A subsequent search of the vehicle, conducted pursuant to a warrant, revealed approximately 9.9 kilograms of pure methamphetamine concealed in the trunk.

During interviews with law enforcement, Saint Louis admitted he knew the narcotics were in the vehicle and that he intended to distribute them. He further acknowledged fleeing from the checkpoint because of the drugs.

Saint Louis pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint. Upon his release from prison, Saint Louis will be subject to five years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, made the announcement today.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol, the New Mexico State Police, Alamogordo Police Department, and Otero County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Hobbs man was sentenced to 66 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after he shot a store employee during an attempted liquor theft at an Albuquerque business.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on December 29, 2024, Kevin Metcalf, 37, entered El Rey Liquors in downtown Albuquerque and attempted to steal a bottle of alcohol. When a store employee intervened, Metcalf fled the scene before turning around and firing a shot toward two employees standing in the doorway, striking an employee in the leg.

As the incident unfolded, a nearby officer with the Albuquerque Police Department heard the gunshot and observed a vehicle leaving the area without headlights. After a short attempt to evade, the vehicle was stopped, and Metcalf, who was seated in the front passenger seat, was detained along with the driver. Officers observed a tan firearm protruding from beneath the front passenger seat. A subsequent 911 call reported the shooting, and responding officers reviewed surveillance footage and confirmed Metcalf was the shooter.

Metcalf later admitted that the firearm recovered from the vehicle was the one used during the offense. At the time, Metcalf had prior felony convictions and knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Metcalf pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Metcalf will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Albert Gibes, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Texas woman has been sentenced for her role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl into southern New Mexico.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, between January 24, 2024, and February 7, 2025, Mayra Mendivil, 37, participated in a drug trafficking organization operating between Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and southern New Mexico. During the investigation, Mendivil coordinated and completed multiple controlled sales of fentanyl to an undercover agent.

Specifically, on January 24, 2024, Mendivil sold approximately 328 grams of fentanyl for $3,000. On February 28, 2024, she sold approximately 205 grams of fentanyl for $1,000. On February 7, 2025, Mendivil sold approximately 280 grams of fentanyl for $3,000.

Mendivil pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to time served. Upon her release from prison, she will be subject to two years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man is facing federal charges after allegedly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office helicopter and striking the cockpit over a dozen times.

According to public court documents, on October 7, 2025, Jorge Pinon Armendariz, 47, directed a green laser at the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Metro 1 helicopter while it was assisting ground operations. The laser struck the aircraft multiple times, including repeated hits to the pilot’s eyes.

Using the aircraft’s onboard camera, the crew tracked the laser beam first to a vehicle in a McDonald’s drive-thru and later to a nearby residence. Ground deputies responded to the residence, and Armendariz fled the scene. Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies identified Armendariz as the individual who repeatedly aimed the laser beam at Metro 1 that night.

At the time of the incident, Armendariz had an active state warrant for violating conditions of pretrial release in a state case allegedly involving receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, New Mexico had the second-highest number of reported laser incidents per capita in 2024 and 2025, second only to Washington, D.C.

Armendariz is federally charged with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 39A. If convicted of the current charges, Armendariz faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jena Ritchey is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – Zachary Babitz has pleaded guilty after committing a series of armed robberies and carjackings across New Mexico in 2024 that culminated in the fatal shooting of a victim during a carjacking in Santa Fe County.

According to court documents, between July 30 and August 10, 2024, Babitz, 40, committed a series of armed robberies, carjackings, and a fatal shooting across Bernalillo, Santa Fe, and Doña Ana counties.

Babitz began on July 30, 2024, when he entered an AutoZone in Albuquerque armed with a 9mm handgun, demanded money from an employee, and stole approximately $345. On July 31, he robbed a Wells Fargo bank in Albuquerque by presenting a demand note and indicating he was armed, obtaining approximately $3,300.

On August 3, Babitz robbed a Jersey Mike’s restaurant at gunpoint, taking cash from the register and forcing an employee to open a safe where additional money was stolen.

On August 6, 2024, Babitz committed a carjacking in Santa Fe County during which he confronted the victim with a firearm and shot him, causing his death.

Following the homicide, Babitz continued his violent conduct. On August 9, he carried out another carjacking in Bernalillo County. On August 10 in Las Cruces, Babitz and an accomplice robbed an Arby’s restaurant at gunpoint, stealing cash, and later that same day participated in another armed carjacking in which they forced a victim from a vehicle using firearms.

Babitz pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of bank robbery, one count of carjacking resulting in death, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and causing death through the use and possession of a firearm, one count of carjacking, two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting, two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting, one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. As part of the plea agreement, the parties have agreed that a specific sentence of life imprisonment is the appropriate disposition in this case.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Sarah Mauricio, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, Santa Fe Police Department, Albuquerque Police Department and Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Elena Stiteler and Natasha Moghadam are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to stabbing a woman in the parking lot of a local business.

According to court documents, on August 31, 2025, Tony Tsosie, 57, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed Jane Doe in the face and thigh with a sharp object in the parking lot of Bashas’ Diné Market in Shiprock, New Mexico. Tsosie was later detained by Navajo Police Department.  Tsosie denied involvement, provided a false identity, and claimed not to be carrying a knife, though a witness described him stabbing the victim multiple times after a verbal altercation.

The victim suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the assault.

Tsosie pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and faces a stipulated sentence of 24 months imprisonment at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Morgan Lake man pleaded guilty to striking and injuring a Navajo Nation Police officer with his car.

According to court documents, on September 28, 2025, officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a report of a suspected drunk driver. When they arrived in the area, the driver, Kendall Benally, 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, refused to obey commands and attempted to flee in his vehicle, striking and injuring an officer and a marked unit in the process. Benally then exited the vehicle and fled on foot and attempted to hide from officers. Benally was found and arrested a short time later.

Benally pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit a felony and faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been charged with federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses following an FBI investigation into an alleged plan to arm ainmate for an escape from custody.

According to court documents, on February 13, 2025, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at three residences in northwest Albuquerque associated with Crisantos “Ventex” Garcia, 34, a suspected West Side Locos gang member and convicted felon. Garcia allegedly attempted to flee by jumping from a second‑story window, breaking multiple bones before being taken to the hospital, where agents seized his cell phone.

During the searches, agents recovered more than a dozen firearms, including a Draco‑style pistol and multiple rifles and pistols, thousands of rounds of ammunition, ballistic vests, high‑value vehicles including a Dodge “Hellcat,” and approximately 151 grams of fentanyl pills. Laboratory testing later identified Garcia’s DNA on two of the seized firearms, and a search of his cell phone revealed photographs of firearms and messages discussing rifles, ammunition, and pill sales.

Investigators further allege that Garcia stockpiled firearms, ammunition, cash, and a stolen vehicle to support an escape plan devised by Dakota Briscoe, an Albuquerque man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for a violent crime spree linked to a 2020 double murder and multiple armed carjackings. According to investigators, Briscoe allegedly directed Garcia to hide a firearm behind an ATM on the second floor of the University of New Mexico Hospital. Additional firearms, cash, and a stolen car were to be staged nearby as part of the escape effort. Investigators believe Briscoe’s plan involved faking a medical emergency during a scheduled court appearance on April 15, 2026, prompting his transfer to the hospital. A letter recovered by investigators further directed others to coordinate by phone to ensure the presence of a vehicle and firearm at the designated location. Agents also learned that Briscoe ultimately intended to flee to Mexico.

On April 14, 2026, the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office Desert Hawk Fugitive Task Force executed an arrest warrant for Garcia at a residence in Phoenix. Garcia again attempted to flee from law enforcement by jumping walls, running through buildings, parking lots, and across heavily trafficked streets, all while accompanied by his minor stepson. When agents caught up, Garcia abandoned the child and was subsequently captured.

Garcia is charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Garcia faces not less than 10 and up to 40 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Services, Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Detention Center and Rio Rancho Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Egyptian national was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after pointing a handgun at a victim at a Las Cruces gas station.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on the morning of May 12, 2025, Moustafa Mahmoud Abdelnabi Salem, 29, a citizen and national of Egypt, threatened an individual at a gas station by pulling a handgun, chambering a round, and pointing it at the victim. After the incident, the victim flagged down an officer from the Las Cruces Police Department and reported the assault.

When the officer questioned Salem, who was still at the location, he alleged that the victim had assaulted him with a large knife and denied pointing a handgun at the victim. Salem refused to allow the officer to retrieve the handgun from his vehicle, leading the officer to believe that there was an issue with the firearm.

Upon further investigation, the officer determined that Salem was an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States after overstaying his visitor visa. The incident was captured by CCTV footage from the gas station in which Salem appears to be the aggressor.

Salem pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  Upon his release from prison, he will be subject to deportation.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations Las Cruces. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Española man has been charged in connection with an alleged assault by strangulation left the victim with serious injuries.

According to court documents, on April 3, 2026, Joseph Cata, 22, an enrolled member of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, allegedly assaulted the victim inside a residence in Española, New Mexico. During the assault, Cata allegedly struck the victim multiple times in the face with both open and closed hands and twice placed his hands around their neck, applying pressure so that they could not breathe or scream. The assault ended after a witness intervened.

As a result of the assault, the victim suffered visible injuries, including a bruised right eye, scratches, redness, contusions, and swelling to their face, consistent with having been struck repeatedly.

Cata is charged with assault by strangulation and suffocation and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Cata faces up to 10 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Clara Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Belen man was sentenced to 41 months in prison for submitting 21 fraudulent unemployment insurance applications using stolen identities during the pandemic.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, between June 18, 2020, to October 15, 2021, Joseph Anthony Martinez, 44, submitted 21 fraudulent unemployment insurance claim applications through the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions using his own name, variations of his name, and the stolen identities of others. In addition to the 21 fraudulent applications, Martinez also modified and pursued a legitimate application that had been filed by another person, without that person’s knowledge.  To this end, Martinez provided false employment information and opened bank accounts in other individuals' names without authorization to receive the fraudulent payments.  As a result of his fraudulent activities, Martinez received more than $177,000.

Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of theft of government property. Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to five years of supervised release.He was also ordered to pay $177,956 in restitution, complete community service, and pay $300 in special penalty assessments.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office.  Deputy U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Bosque Farms man pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm after multiple prior convictions for felonies and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence.

According to court documents, on July 15, 2024, Warren Chewiwi, 52, possessed a 12-gauge shotgun and shotgun shells. As a person previously convicted of both a felony and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, Chewiwi was and is prohibited by law from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Chewiwi pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He faces up to 15 years in prison at sentencing and up to three years of supervised release after his prison sentence. He must also forfeit the shotgun and ammunition to the United States government.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Isleta Pueblo Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Quemado man pleaded guilty in federal court after law enforcement seized 13 firearms and ammunition from his property during a 2024 search.

According to court documents, in April 2024, the Catron County Sheriff’s Office was investigating residential burglaries and identified Chad Walter Gash, 43, as a person of interest. During that investigation, law enforcement determined that Gash had previously been convicted in Texas in 2014 of manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance and that he completed his sentence in October 2019. As a convicted felon, Gash was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Investigators learned from neighbors that firearms were regularly being fired from Gash’s property and that Gash had possessed numerous firearms there. On April 30, 2024, officers executed a search warrant at Gash’s residence and recovered 13 firearms and ammunition from his bedroom and a travel trailer associated with him, along with methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Some of the seized weapons included an unregistered short-barreled shotgun and a destructive device.

Gash pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 15 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Catron County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Dickens and Benjamin Suslavich are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Pojoaque man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, between December 2021 and February 2022, Alexander John Duran, 31, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Pojoaque, engaged in a sexual act with a child under the age of 12.

Duran subsequently pled guilty to abusive sexual contact. Upon his release from prison, Duran will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Pueblo of Pojoaque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington woman was sentenced to five years of probation for intentionally causing a motorcyclist to crash following an argument

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on September 2, 2024, Tenille Quintawna Peshlakai, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, argued with the victim at a gas station before driving away. Peshlakai then turned around, caught up to the victim, and swerved her vehicle to block his path. This forced the victim to lay down his motorcycle and crash into Peshlakai’s vehicle. Peshlakai fled the scene before law enforcement or medical personnel arrived.

Peshlakai subsequently pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man has pleaded guilty in federal court to federal firearms offenses following a 2022-armed carjacking in which he discharged a weapon.

According to court documents, on April 10, 2022, Myles Cordelle Dan Padilla, 34, took a motor vehicle from John Doe by force with a firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Padilla is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Padilla pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 15 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.

In the one-week period ending April 10, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 106 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 8 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 84 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 87 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for second degree murder, aggravated assault, drug trafficking, vehicle theft, immigration documents fraud, possession of a firearm by an alien, and prior immigration offenses.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

ALBUQUERQUE – A former Ohkay Owingeh Police Department officer has pleaded guilty to using his position to disclose sensitive information about a federal investigation.

According to court documents, on February 26, 2020, Justin Aguino, 31, a former police officer with the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department, placed a phone call to an individual and disclosed that a person that individual was in contact with was cooperating with federal authorities. Aguino made these statements to alert the individual to the person’s status as an informant, knowing that such disclosure could interfere with an ongoing federal investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. When confronted by FBI agents in 2022, Aguino denied sharing this information.

Aguino was released on conditions pending trial on July 6, 2023, but failed to appear for a child support hearing in August 2024, prompting a tribal bench warrant, and then violated his release conditions by failing to maintain contact with Pretrial Services. After the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office offered a reward for information leading to his capture, Aguino was arrested on the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo on November 26, 2025, and was subsequently detained pending trial.

Aguino pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and faces up to 15 months in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Region III Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor over a four-year period.

According to court documents, Brian Begay, 30, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in a pattern of sexual abuse against Jane Doe between 2015 and 2019, beginning when the victim was 12 and continuing until she was 16.

Begay pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact and faces up to life in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Phoenix man was sentenced to 108 months in prison for sexually abusing a minor.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, in 2019, Jeremy Blueeyes, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual contact with a minor who had not yet attained the age of 12.

Blueeyes subsequently pled guilty to abusive sexual contact of a minor. Upon his release from prison, Blueeyes will be subject to ten years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. 

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.

In the one-week period ending April 3, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 70 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 3 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 18 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 82 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for narcotics trafficking, domestic violence, unlawful possession of firearms, alien smuggling, receipt of stolen property, and prior immigration offenses.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to life in prison plus 60 months after a federal jury convicted him on kidnapping charges stemming from a 2018 abduction, following nearly seven years on the run from law enforcement.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in 2018, just weeks after his release from prison for a felony firearm conviction stemming from a high-speed police chase, and while under court supervision and wearing a GPS ankle monitor, Jose Ramirez, 47, engineered a calculated and violent kidnapping-for-ransom scheme targeting his former employer, a 68-year-old business owner who had fired him years earlier for theft.

On July 25, 2018, the day before the kidnapping, Ramirez met with his co-defendants in Albuquerque and enlisted them in the scheme, which he described as a plan to retaliate against his former boss and “take him for all he had.” One co-defendant further recruited a third participant, who acted as the primary enforcer during the attack. In the early morning hours of July 26, after stealing a vehicle from a family member, cutting off his GPS monitor and discarding his phone to conceal his movements, Ramirez and his co-defendants traveled to the victim’s residence in Placitas.

At approximately 6 a.m., the defendants ambushed the victim as he exited his home. Ramirez restrained the victim in a chokehold and held a knife to his throat. During the ensuing struggle, the victim was pistol-whipped multiple times before being subdued. The defendants forced the victim into his own Ford Ranger and drove him to a remote location, where they robbed him of cash and a check, bound him, and transported him to a dilapidated shed in Albuquerque.

Ramirez held the victim captive for approximately 15 hours, during which the victim endured additional beatings. Throughout the day, Ramirez made multiple ransom calls to the victim’s daughter, demanding $9,600 and directing her to wire money to a bank account in Mexico. Despite his previous efforts to avoid detection, Ramirez used his personal cell phone to make the calls, which were traced by investigators, and he spoke directly to the victim’s daughter during a recorded call, further identifying himself.

The scheme ultimately unraveled when Ramirez failed to provide the necessary banking information required to complete the international wire transfer. After obtaining only $600 from the victim, Ramirez abandoned the ransom attempt. That evening, the victim was released in southwest Albuquerque and walked to a nearby gas station, where he called for help.

In the aftermath, Ramirez attempted to profit further by using a stolen check bearing his fingerprint, which led to an additional bank fraud conviction for an associate. He then fled New Mexico, traveling to California, where he lived under aliases and continued engaging in criminal activity. Ramirez evaded law enforcement for seven years before being apprehended in California.

On December 12, 2025, a federal jury convicted Ramirez on multiple charges, including conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, conspiracy to carjack, carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and extortion. Due to his more than thirty years of criminal conduct and the particularly violent and calculated nature of the crime, the government requested—and the court imposed—a sentence of life in prison plus 60 years.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico Corrections Department Probation and Parole. Assistant United States Attorneys Jack E. Burkhead and Sarah Mease are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has been charged with kidnapping after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman he tricked into getting in his car by offering her a ride home.

According to court documents, on March 23, 2026, Barton Rico Cooeyate, 41, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted Jane Doe after offering her a ride home in Zuni, New Mexico, only to transport her to an abandoned rural residence 15 miles away. The victim escaped from Cooeyate’s vehicle and hid until a Zuni Pueblo Tribal Ranger conducted an unrelated DWI stop on Cooeyate. As a result of the assault, the victim suffered injuries including a contusion to her left forearm.

Cooeyate is charged with kidnapping by inveiglement. This means Cooeyatelured the woman into his car by false representations or promises, or other deceitful means. He will remain in La Pasada Halfway House pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Cooeyate faces up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Fish and Wildlife and the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Two Grey Hills man was sentenced to eight and a half year in prison for brandishing and discharging a firearm while threatening multiple individuals.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on February 28, 2025, James Smiley Jr., 56, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, unlawfully entered a residence within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and pointed a firearm at three individuals without provocation. During the incident, Smiley threatened to kill the victims and discharged the firearm into the ceiling.

Smiley pleaded guilty to one count each of assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Smiley will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty after firing a shotgun into an occupied vehicle and seriously injuring a passenger.

According to court documents, March 20, 2025, Shane Austin Loretto, 32, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, fired a shotgun at the car John Doe was a passenger in, with intent to do bodily harm. John Doe was hit in the face and neck with multiple pellets and required medical treatment.

Law enforcement tied Loretto to the shooting through witness statements and subsequently located the shotgun and ammunition in a safe inside a shed adjacent to Loretto’s residence. During a subsequent interview, Loretto claimed he had heard about the shooting but did not know where the gunshot came from.

Loretto pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and faces not less than five years and up to life in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.