District of New Mexico
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Navajo Man from Shiprock Sentenced to 161 Months in Prison for Second-Degree Murder ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jerry Johnson, Jr., 57, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 161 months in prison for his second-degree murder conviction. Johnson will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence.
The FBI arrested Johnson in July 2017 and charged him by criminal complaint with murdering a Navajo woman on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M. According to the complaint, on June 26, 2017, Johnson struck the victim in the head with his fist, and then retrieved a knife and stabbed her in the back. Johnson was indicted on a second-degree murder charge on Dec. 20, 2017.
On April 27, 2018, Johnson pled guilty to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Johnson admitted that on June 26, 2017, he killed the victim by hitting her, and stabbing her once in the back with a kitchen knife.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Laguna Pueblo Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Conviction on Federal Conspiracy and Commercial Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Cruz Abeita, 28, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo who resides in San Felipe, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 84 months of imprisonment for his conviction on a conspiracy charge and for violating the Hobbs Act. Abeita will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence. Abeita’s conviction arises out of the robbery of the Dancing Eagle Travel Center in Cibola County, N.M., on Dec. 30, 2016,
Abeita was arrested in Feb. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with armed robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence on Dec. 30, 2016, on the Laguna Pueblo in Cibola County. According to the complaint, Abeita and another individual entered the Casa Blanca Travel Center on the Laguna Pueblo where they threatened the cashier with what appeared to be a handgun and stole money from the cash register.
On Oct. 3, 2017, Abeita pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and violating the Hobbs Act by robbing a business engaged in interstate commerce. In entering the guilty plea, Abeita admitted that on Dec. 30, 2016, he entered the Dancing Eagle Travel Center in Cibola County, with an associate, where they demanded money from the cashier and threatened the cashier with a replica pistol that appeared to be a real firearm.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, and the Laguna Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Short-Videos Aimed at Educating Student Athletes, Parents and Coaches about Dangers of Opioids and Alcohol Distributed State-Wide as School Year BeginsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Public and education officials and community advocates held a press conference today to discuss a series of short videos entitled, “Opioids, Alcohol and Athletes,” being distributed to middle and high schools throughout New Mexico as the 2018-2019 school year begins. The videos, designed to educate student athletes, parents and coaches, about the dangers of opioids and alcohol, are a collaborative project of the Bernalillo County Department of Behavioral Health, the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA), the New Mexico Parent Teachers Association (PTA), and Christopher Productions, LLC.
U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson hosted the press conference as part of the prevention and education component of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative to underscore the fact that New Mexico’s use of opioids, including use by teens and young adults, has become epidemic. U.S. Attorney Anderson noted that the most recent New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (2015) reflected that 14.3% of students in grades 9 to 12 used prescription drugs without a prescription. The Survey also reflected that 26.1% of students in grades 9 to 12 were current drinkers, with 20% having had their first drinks before age 13, and 19.7% having ridden with a drinking driver. U.S. Attorney Anderson said, “These are startling facts that parents need to be aware of as their teenagers are returning to school.”
The “Opioids, Alcohol and Athletes” Project involved teens, parents, coaches and experts in creating a DVD with seven short videos for use in presentations to student athletes, parents and coaches. Three of the videos are specifically oriented for the high school level and two for middle school level. The Project was funded by Bernalillo County Department of Behavioral Health and the videos were produced by Christopher Productions, LLC.
“Combatting the opioid epidemic is a priority for Bernalillo County, and when it comes to kids, it hits close to home for many of us,” said Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins. “For some young athletes, the prescription pain medication they’ve been prescribed for sports injuries starts the tragic slide into opioid addiction. During the 20 years my kids were involved in organized youth sports, I never once saw anything warning players or parents about the risks associated with the prescription painkillers used in treating sports injuries. This information needs to be shared with every student athlete and every parent because it can save lives.”
Chris Schueler, President of Christopher Productions, LLC, noted that the NMAA is making copies of the DVD available to all schools involved in the Association, in addition to using the DVD in face-to-face programs that will reach youth throughout the state. Mr. Schueler also noted that the NMAA has indicated that it will be loading the videos on its website, which gets approximately 750,000 hits per year. Mr. Schueler said, “Having worked on the opioid issue for more than six years through our ‘No Exceptions’ Program, it is very encouraging to see these partners engaging youth and parents in such a significant way. The distribution of this DVD to middle and high schools throughout the state will make a difference in the battle against the disease of addiction.”
The New Mexico PTA also is distributing the DVD to each PTA in the state, and will feature the “Opioid, Alcohol and Athletes” Project during its annual conference in May 2019. Wendy Ford-Licon, President of the New Mexico PTA said, “New Mexico PTA and PTAs across the country remain steadfast in our longstanding commitment to advocate and make a difference for the education, health and well-being of all children. Parents play an essential role in the fight to eradicate this epidemic. We need to look in our medicine cabinets and see what our kids have access to. Are the medications in our homes safe, secure and necessary? Prevention starts at home and with all of us.”
The Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) already have distributed the DVD to all its high schools. “APS has provided this DVD to all athletic directors at the high school level. We hope it will open doors for candid conversations between student athletes, parents and coaches about the potential risks and dangers of substance abuse,” said Susan McKee, M.A., LPCC, Director of Counseling, APS Student, Family & Community Support Division. “The DVD also provides an avenue for the Crossroads, or substance abuse, counselors to educate student athletes, sports teams and parents.”
Jennifer Weiss-Burke and Lou Duran, Executive Director and Community Advocate, respectively, at Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC) and Serenity Mesa, participated in the press conference. Ms. Weiss-Burke and Ms. Duran both lost teenaged sons – student athletes who became addicted to prescription painkillers prescribed for sports-related injuries – to heroin overdoses in 2011. They are now dedicated to providing support, education and treatment to families and communities fighting to end substance abuse among teens and young adults.
“It is critical for high school athletes and coaches to understand how potentially addictive and dangerous opioids can be. Just because a doctor prescribed them does not mean they are safe,” said Ms. Weiss-Burke. “Education is a key part in addressing the opioid epidemic that has affected so many people in New Mexico and across the United States.”
Ms. Duran added, “We have advocated for our youth across New Mexico for the past eight years, and we have learned that it takes much more than a village to raise a child – it takes an entire community! We are thankful for the opportunity and hope that the takeaway from these videos is that education and awareness are key to keeping our youth safe, and know that addiction can happen to anyone regardless of age, race or socioeconomic status.”
Tim Sheahan, President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Central New Mexico, a regular collaborator in the U.S. Attorney’s Office youth-related community outreach activities which have an anti-drug, anti-violence and anti-gang orientation, also participated in the press conference. Mr. Sheahan said, “The Boys & Girls Club uses a team approach that involves our staff, parents and community partners. We engage our members in discussion around decision-making skills, analyzing media and peer influence with the ultimate goal of promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging responsible behavior.”
U.S. Attorney Anderson concluded the press conference by asking the media to join the partnership before them by letting the community know that the videos would be available to the public in about a week at safeteen.net.
The New Mexico HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning.
Member of Albuquerque-Based Armed Robbery Crew Sentenced to Seven Years for Conviction on Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Gabriel Sanchez, 29, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 84 months in prison for his conviction for using and brandishing a firearm during the robbery of a commercial business engaged in interstate commerce. Sanchez will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Co-defendant Virgal Malott, 23, also of Albuquerque, was charged by criminal complaint on Feb. 18, 2015. According to the complaint, officers of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) arrested Malott on outstanding state felony warrants on Feb. 14, 2015. Thereafter, APD executed a state search warrant at his residence as part of an investigation into a series of armed robberies of Albuquerque-area businesses. During the search, APD found a loaded firearm, which provided the basis for a federal criminal complaint charging Malott with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition that was filed on Feb. 18, 2015, by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In June 2015, Malott was charged in an 11-count indictment with violating the Hobbs Act by robbing seven businesses engaged in interstate commerce, carjacking, using and brandishing a firearm during crimes of violence, and with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleged that Malott committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M., between Dec. 2014 and Jan. 2015.
The indictment was superseded in Aug. 2015, to add two defendants, Sanchez and Paul Lujan, 22, also of Albuquerque, and two more charges. The superseding indictment charged the three men with conspiring to violate the Hobbs Act by robbing businesses engaged in interstate commerce in Jan. 2015, the armed robbery of five Albuquerque-area businesses, and using and brandishing firearms during crimes of violence. It also charged Malott alone with the armed robbery of two additional Albuquerque-area businesses, carjacking, and with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The superseding indictment alleged that the three men committed the crimes in Bernalillo County between Dec. 2014 and Jan. 2015.
On Aug. 2, 2018, Sanchez entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging him with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Sanchez admitted that on Jan. 30, 2015, he brandished a firearm and pointed the firearm at two store clerks during the armed robbery of Loan Max located at 6108 Lomas Blvd., NE in Albuquerque.
On Aug. 17, 2017, Malott entered a guilty plea to three counts of the superseding indictment charging him with the armed robbery of a business engaged in interstate commerce, carjacking, and using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Malott admitted robbing a title loan business located in Albuquerque on Dec. 22, 2014. Malott acknowledged that he was armed when he committed the robbery. He also admitted pointing the firearm at the business’s three employees and that he threatened to kill the employees. Malott admitted committing a carjacking on Jan. 19, 2015, by pointing a firearm at an individual who was at an Albuquerque convenience store and demanding the individual’s wallet and keys. Malott fled from the scene in the individual’s vehicle. Malott was sentenced on Feb. 15, 2018, to 200 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Lujan was arrested on Dec. 3, 2015, after he was transferred from state custody into federal custody. On Aug. 15, 2017, Lujan pled guilty to a felony information charging him with using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Lujan admitted that on June 30, 2015, he acted as the getaway driver during the armed robbery of the Loan Max Title Loan in Albuquerque. Lujan further admitted that he discarded a firearm while running from the police following the armed robbery. Lujan was sentenced on April 11, 2018, to 60 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF and by APD, with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rumaldo A. Armijo and David M. Walsh prosecuted the case.
California Woman Pleads Guilty to Heroin Trafficking Charge Arising Out of Nearly 11-Pound Heroin Seizure in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Angelica Denise De La O, 26, of Lake Elsinore, Calif., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a heroin trafficking charge. De La O entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.
The DEA arrested De La O in Aug. 2017, after seizing approximately 4.9 kilograms (10.8 pounds) of heroin from her luggage during an interdiction investigation on Aug. 10, 2017, in Albuquerque. De La O was indicted on Sept. 6, 2017, and was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute on Aug. 10, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
At sentencing, De La O faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. She remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
MEDIA ADVISORY-- Public and Education Officials to Hold Press Conference Highlighting State-Wide Distribution of Short Videos to Educate Student Athletes, Parents and Coaches about Dangers of Opioids and AlcoholRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico’s use of opioids, including use by teens and young adults, has become almost epidemic. The most recent New Mexico Youth Risk and Residency Survey (2015) indicates that more than one in ten (14.3%) students in grades 9 to 12 use prescription drugs without a prescription. The Survey also indicates that more than a quarter (26.1%) of students in grades 9 to 12 are current drinkers, with two in ten (20%) having had their first drinks before age 13. Almost the same number (19.7%) rode with a drinking driver.
Public and education officials will meet with the media at 11:15 a.m. on THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018, at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque to discuss “Opioids, Alcohol and Athletes,” a collaborative project of the Bernalillo County Department of Behavioral Health, the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA), the New Mexico Parent Teachers Association (PTA), and Christopher Productions.
The “Opioids, Alcohol and Athletes” Project consists of seven short videos designed to educate students, especially student athletes, parents and coaches about the dangers associated with opioids and alcohol, which are being distributed by the NMAA and New Mexico PTA to middle and high schools throughout New Mexico. The Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) already has distributed the videos to each high school athletic director. DVDs of the videos will be distributed during the press conference.
WHO:
John C. Anderson, U.S. Attorney, District of New Mexico
Maggie Hart Stebbins, Commissioner, Bernalillo County
Dr. Katrina Hotrum-Lopez, Bernalillo County Dept. of Behavioral Health
Chris Schueler, President, Christopher Productions
Wendy Ford-Licon, President, New Mexico Parent Teachers Association
Susan McKee, Director of Counseling, APS Student, Family & Community Support Division
Jennifer Weiss-Burke, Executive Director, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), Serenity Mesa
Lou Duran, Community Advocate, HAC, Serenity Mesa
Tim Sheahan, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Central New Mexico
WHAT:
Press Conference regarding the “Opioids, Alcohol and Athletes” Project
WHEN:
Thursday, August 16, 2018 at 11:15 am
WHERE:
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Mexico
201 Third Street NW
10th Floor Multi-Media Room (Reception on Ninth Floor)
Albuquerque, NM 87102
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: Media representatives must present government-issued photo I.D. (i.e., driver’s license) and valid media credentials. Media representatives may begin to arrive at 10:45 a.m. Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Alyssa Ferda at 505-224-1480 or [email protected].
The New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative is hosting this press conference as part of its prevention and education component. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, HAC, APS and many other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning.
Albuquerque Felon Sentenced to Seven Years for Unlawfully Possessing a Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jeremias Robertson, 26, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced late yesterday afternoon in federal court to 84 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Robertson will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officers arrested Robertson on Aug. 18, 2017, after he brandished a loaded firearm at an APD officer. According to the criminal complaint, the officer had been dispatched to downtown Albuquerque in response to a call reporting that a man was pointing a firearm at people in the area. When the officer arrived in the area, he observed Robertson holding a firearm. When the officer ordered Robertson to drop the firearm, he pointed the firearm at the officer. After Robertson continued to disregard the officer’s commands and brandished the firearm at the officer, the officer shot Robertson. After Robertson was arrested, APD recovered the firearm, which was loaded with eight rounds of ammunition.
Robertson subsequently was indicted on Sept. 21, 2017, and was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Aug. 18, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the indictment, Robertson was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm and fleeing a police officer. Robertson pled guilty to the indictment on Jan. 16, 2018, without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and APD and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Thomas. The case was prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Deon Terrell Culberson, 39, of Wichita, Kan., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge.
The DEA arrested Culberson in Feb. 2018, after seizing approximately 0.7 kilograms (1.54 pounds) of methamphetamine from his luggage during an interdiction investigation on Feb. 20, 2018, in Albuquerque. Culberson was indicted on March 13, 2018, and was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 20. 2018, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Culberson pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Feb. 20, 2018, he possessed approximately 660 grams of methamphetamine while traveling from Las Vegas, Nev., to Albuquerque. Culberson further admitted that he intended to deliver the methamphetamine to others upon reaching his final destination of Newton, Kan.
At sentencing, Culberson faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo.
Felon from Artesia Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Martin O. Madrid, 29, of Artesia, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition. Madrid entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement
Madrid, whose prior criminal history includes felony convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse, battery against a household member, extortion, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, is being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Madrid was arrested on May 4, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on April 18, 2018, in Eddy County, N.M. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers responded to a missing person call for service on April 18, 2018. During the search for the missing person, who was found in the company of Madrid, officers arrested Madrid on an outstanding arrest warrant. Officers seized a loaded firearm and ammunition from Madrid incident to his arrest.
Madrid was indicted on July 18, 2018, and was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Madrid was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
At sentencing, Madrid faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Selesia L. Winston of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Zuni Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Terrence Cachini, 31, an enrolled member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty this afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assaulting a minor resulting in serious bodily injury. Cachini’s plea agreement recommends five years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Cachini was arrested on March 6, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a female child by striking and biting her on Feb. 24, 2015, resulting in serious bodily injury to the victim. According to the complaint, as the result of the assault, the victim sustained extensive bruising to her entire body consistent with multiple and repeated impacts, which could have resulted in muscle breakdown, kidney failure, and potentially death.
Cachini was indicted on March 24, 2015, and was charged with assaulting a female by striking, kneeing and biting her, resulting in serious bodily injury. According to the indictment, Cachini committed the crime between Jan. 5, 2015 and Feb. 23, 2015, on Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Cachini pled guilty to an information charging him with assaulting a minor under the age of 16 years, resulting in substantial bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Cachini admitted that between Jan. 5, 2015 and Feb. 23, 2015, he assaulted the minor victim on more than one occasion by striking and injuring the victim. Cachini acknowledged that as the result of the assaults, the victim suffered lacerations and significant bruising. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case.
Navajo Man from San Juan County Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Neddanyl Sims, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Nenahnezad, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assault and firearms charges. Sims entered the plea under a plea agreement that recommends he be sentenced to six years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Sims was arrested on Sept. 1, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence on Aug. 16, 2016. According to the complaint, Sims shot at an occupied vehicle and injured one of the three occupants, following an argument over money.
Sims was indicted on Nov. 15, 2016, and was charged with assaulting two victims with a rifle with the intention of causing them bodily harm. It also charged Sims with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the indictment, Sims committed the offenses on Aug. 16, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Sims pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and to a felony information charging him with possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Sims admitted that on Aug. 16, 2016, he fired four rounds at the victim’s vehicle intending to do bodily harm following an argument over money Sims owed to the victim. Sims acknowledged that several shots hit the victim’s vehicle, one of which struck the victim’s arm.
Sims was arrested on tribal charges on Aug. 16, 2016, and remained in tribal custody until he was transferred into federal custody on Sept. 1, 2016. He has been in federal custody since that time and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Navajo Man from Albuquerque Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jason Jonas Lee, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court to a misdemeanor assault charge.
Lee was arrested on Jan. 11, 2018, on a four-count indictment charging him with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with the intention of doing bodily harm, and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The indictment alleged that Lee committed the crimes against two victims, one with a baton and the other with a crowbar. According to the indictment, Lee committed the crimes on April 14, 2017, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Lee pled guilty to a misdemeanor information charging him with assault by striking, beating and wounding. In entering the guilty plea, Lee admitted that on April 14, 2017, he entered the residence of one of the victims and assaulted the victim with a baton. After leaving the residence, he struck the other victim with the baton. Lee acknowledged that both victims sustained injuries as a result of his actions, and one of the victims required orthopedic surgery to repair a broken arm sustained as the result of Lee’s assault.
At sentencing, Lee faces a maximum statutory penalty of a year of imprisonment. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez is prosecuting the case.
Laguna Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Kidnapping ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Aaron Alonzo, 35, an enrolled member of Laguna Pueblo who resides in Dulce, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a kidnapping charge. Alonzo entered the guilty plea under a plea agreement that recommends a prison sentence within the range of 60 to 120 months followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Alonzo was arrested on Feb. 6, 2017, on an indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse, kidnapping, and assault of an intimate partner by strangling or suffocating. According to the indictment, Alonzo committed the offenses on Nov. 7, 2015, on the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation in Rio Arriba County, N.M.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Alonzo pled guilty to the kidnapping charge. In entering the guilty plea, Alonzo admitted seizing and confining the victim in a residence against her will on Nov. 7, 2015, to prevent her from calling the police. Alonzo also admitted threatening the victim with physical violence if she attempted to leave the residence or to reveal his presence to a visitor in the residence. When the victim escaped from the residence the following morning, Alonzo fled when he learned that the police had been called.
Alonzo remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Jicarilla Apache Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Murphy is prosecuting the case as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Felon from Silver City Pleads Guilty to Federal Heroin Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Christopher Murillo, 38, of Silver City, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to a heroin trafficking charge and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Murillo was arrested on Feb. 11, 2018, on a criminal complaint alleging drug trafficking and firearms offenses. According to the complaint, Silver City Police Department officers seized approximately 30.2 grams of heroin, 412.7 grams of marijuana, a loaded firearm, and drug paraphernalia in Murillo’s vehicle while executing a search warrant following a traffic stop on July 6, 2017, in Grant County, N.M. Murillo was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated burglary, larceny, larceny of a firearm, and breaking and entering.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Murillo pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possessing heroin with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Murillo admitted that on July 6, 2017, Silver City Police Department officers found 30 grams of heroin and a firearm in his vehicle while executing a search warrant after an officer smelled marijuana emitting from his vehicle during a traffic stop. Murillo admitted ownership of both the heroin and firearm, and acknowledged that that he intended to distribute the heroin to others in exchange for money. Murillo also acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
At sentencing, Murillo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Silver City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard C. Williams of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
Navajo Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Involuntary Manslaughter ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Shannon Allen, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Mariano Lake, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 34 months in prison for her conviction on an involuntary manslaughter charge. Allen will be on supervised release for three years after completing her prison sentence.
Allen was arrested in Oct. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging her with killing a man on Sept. 23, 2017, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. According to the complaint, Allen killed the victim when she lost controlled of her vehicle and caused her vehicle to rollover. At the time, Allen was driving under the influence of alcohol.
Allen subsequently was indicted on Oct. 24, 2017, and was charged with involuntary manslaughter. On May 10, 2018, Allen pled guilty to the indictment and admitted killing the victim while driving recklessly and under the influence of alcohol. Allen acknowledged that the alcohol rendered her incapable of exercising clear judgment and a steady hand in operating the vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Man and Mexican National Plead Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ruben Acosta, 48, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Juventino Villapando-Torrez, 40, a Mexican national, pled guilty in federal court to methamphetamine trafficking charges. Acosta entered his guilty plea yesterday and Villapando-Torrez entered his plea today. Both entered their guilty pleas without the benefit of plea agreements.
HIDTA Region III Narcotics Task Force officers arrested Acosta and Villapando-Torrez on Nov. 28, 2017, after the two men distributed approximately 2,422.6 grams (5.34 pounds) of methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement officers at the San Felipe Travel Center in Sandoval County, N.M.
Acosta and Villapando-Torrez were indicted on Dec. 20, 2017, and were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties, N.M., and distribution of methamphetamine in Sandoval County. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the offenses on Nov. 28, 2017.
At sentencing, the defendants each face a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. Villapando-Torrez will be deported after completing his prison sentence. Both men remain in custody pending sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the HIDTA Region III Narcotics Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez.
The HIDTA – High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area – Program is a program of the White House Office National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) that facilitates cooperation among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to foster intelligence sharing and to support the execution of effective enforcement operations aimed at dismantling drug trafficking organization in critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. The HIDTA Region III Narcotics Task Force is comprised of the New Mexico State Police, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Fe Police Department.
Three Men Arraigned on Federal Theft Charges Arising Out of Scheme to Defraud Bureau of Indian EducationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Three men were arraigned this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on an indictment charging them with conspiring to defraud the United States by using credit cards issued by their employer, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), to purchase thousands of dollars of goods and services for their personal use between Aug. 2013 and Dec. 2016. Albuquerque residents Simon Nunez, Jr., 67, and David M. Parrish, 63, and Leland Martinez, 56, of Los Lunas, N.M., entered not guilty pleas during this morning’s proceedings, and were released under pretrial supervision pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled.
The nine-count indictment, which was filed on July 27, 2018, charges the defendants with conspiracy and theft from the United States. It also charges Nunez with making false statements to federal investigators. It alleges that the defendants committed the offenses between Aug. 2013 and Dec. 2016, in New Mexico. Parrish and Nunez voluntarily retired from BIE in Dec. 2016 when the investigation into the case was initiated, and Martinez was placed on administrative leave.
According to the indictment, BIE is a sub-department of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). Parrish and Martinez were BIE employees authorized to make purchases for BIE using government-issued credit cards, who were supervised by Nunez, a BIE supervisory employee with the authority to approve or deny purchases made by Parrish and Martinez and who maintained records listing the justifications for the use of the government funds to make purchases.
Count 1 of the indictment, the conspiracy count, alleges that Nunez, Parrish and Martinez engaged in a scheme to misuse their government-issued credit cards for their personal use and the use of family members, and to misrepresent those purchases as authorized government purchases. Counts 2 through 8 of the indictment allege that from Aug. 2013 through Oct. 2016, the defendants embezzled more than $1000 from the United States. During that period, the defendants allegedly used government funds to purchase storage sheds, tarps, a chainsaw, hot water heaters, a brush mower, two laptops, clothing and shoes, tools, earphones, and other personal items and allegedly created false BIE records to justify the use of government funds to make those purchases. Count 9 of the indictment charges Nunez with making false statements to federal investigators of the DOI Office of Inspector General on Dec. 22, 2016.
If convicted of the charges in the indictment, the defendants each face a maximum statutory penalty of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge, and a maximum statutory penalty of ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on the theft of government funds charges. Nunez faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on the false statement charge. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec.
Nunez et al. IndictmentCalifornia Man Arraigned on Federal Indictment Alleging Illegal Exporting of Defense Articles, False Statements and International Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Steven J. Anichowski, 26, of San Diego, Calif., was arraigned yesterday morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on an indictment charging him with conspiring to violate the Illegal Export and Attempted Export of Defense Articles Act by scheming to illegally export defense articles to Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and other charges.
U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge Jack P. Staton of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso and Inspector in Charge Melisa Llosa of the Phoenix Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced the filing of charges against Anichowski, and his co-defendants, Jonathan J. McGechie, 31, of Socorro, N.M., and Takumi Nishimori, a Japanese national.
The indictment alleges that from Sept. 2010 through April 2016, Anichowski procured, sold and shipped firearm components, defense articles and military items, which were on the U.S. Munitions List and subject to export control by the U.S. Department of State, directly and through intermediaries, to individuals in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The indictment further alleges that Anichowski did not apply for a license or authorization from the U.S. Department of State, to ship these items overseas, and did not register with the U.S. Department of State as required under the Arms Export Control Act.
According to the indictment, in Jan. 2014, Nishimori was involved in illegally procuring firearm components from Anichowski and others in the United States and elsewhere as part of an international network that allegedly trafficked in firearm components, defense articles, and military items. The indictment alleges that Anichowski exported firearm components, defense articles, and military items to individuals, including Nishimori, using the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). It also alleges that on numerous occasions between Jan. 2014 and Aug. 2016, Anichowski directed others, including McGechie, to falsify USPS international shipment forms by falsely describing items to be shipped, undervaluing the items, and mischaracterizing the end-user information.
The seven-count indictment, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on Feb. 14, 2018, contains the following charges:
- Count 1 charges Anichowski and Nishimori with conspiracy to violate the Illegal Export and Attempted Export of Defense Articles Act. The statutory penalty on conviction is maximum of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
- Count 2 charges Anichowski and Nishimori with violating the Illegal Export and Attempted Export of Defense Article Act by exporting and attempting to export defense articles to Japan without the required license or authorization from the U.S. Department of State in March 2016. The statutory penalty on conviction is maximum of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
- Count 3 charges Anichowski and Nishimori with violating the Illegal Export and Attempted Export of Defense Article Act by exporting and attempting to export defense articles to Taiwan without the required license or authorization from the U.S. Department of State in June 2016. The statutory penalty on conviction is maximum of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
- Count 4 charges that Anichowski and Nishimori with smuggling military articles from the United States from Jan. 2014 through Aug. 2016. The statutory penalty on conviction is maximum of ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
- Counts 5 and 6 charge Anichowski and McGechie, respectively, with making false statements on Customs Forms in which each falsely described firearms parts as toy parts on in 2016. The statutory penalty on conviction is maximum of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
- Count 7 charges Anichowski and Nishimori with committing money laundering by transmitting funds derived from illegally exporting defense articles from Japan to the United States through an online payment account to promote the carrying out of unlawful activity in April 2015. The statutory penalty on conviction is a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine.
During yesterday’s arraignment hearing, Anichowski entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against him in the indictment. Anichowski remains on conditions of pretrial release pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled. Nishimori and McGechie have yet to be arrested.
Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
The Albuquerque office of HSI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation of this case with assistance from the FBI, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe is prosecuting the case.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Steven Vaillancourt, II, 45, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to distributing and possessing child pornography. As the result of his guilty plea, Vaillancourt faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment for distributing child pornography and a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment for possessing child pornography. Vaillancourt also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Vaillancourt was arrested on child pornography offenses in March 2018. According to the criminal complaint in which he was charged, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant on an email account, which revealed that Vaillancourt had been communicating with another individual about sharing and producing child pornography of that individual’s minor children. Vaillancourt also sent three child pornography images to the individual’s cellular phone through text messaging.
Vaillancourt was indicted on July 18, 2018. The indictment charged Vaillancourt with two counts of distributing child pornography and three counts of possessing child pornography. According to the indictment, Vaillancourt committed the offenses in March 2018 in Dona Ana County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Vaillancourt pled guilty to one count of distributing child pornography and three counts of possessing child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Vaillancourt admitted sending two images of child pornography to another person on March 12, 2018. Vaillancourt also admitted that law enforcement officers who executed a search warrant at his residence on March 13, 2018, found three hard drives that contained an aggregate of 6,431 images and 90 videos of child pornography.
Vaillancourt has been in custody since his arrest and will remain in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of HSI and the Las Cruces Police Department with assistance from the National Recognizance Office, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. Individuals with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse are encouraged to contact the Children’s Advocacy Center at (575) 526-3437, or to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Albuquerque Woman Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting a Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Charmaine Peralta, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 30 months in prison for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. Peralta will be on supervised release for three years after she completes her prison sentence.
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) charged Peralta in Jan. 2017, with assaulting a federal officer in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, Peralta assaulted a Probation Officer of the New Mexico Corrections Department who was deputized as a special federal officer and was serving as a Task Force Officer of the USMS’s South West Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT) on Jan. 19, 2017, when the SWIFT Team was executing a warrant for Peralta’s arrest. Peralta assaulted the Task Force Officer by biting her on the arm, resulting in bleeding and bruising, and by kicking the Officer repeatedly in the chest.
Peralta was indicted on March 14, 2017, and was charged with assaulting a federal officer. On Jan. 19, 2018, Peralta pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the USMS’s SWIFT Team with assistance from the New Mexico Corrections Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh.
Non-Indian Man Sentenced to Five Years for Sexually Abusing Navajo WomanRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Mark Silva, 48, of Sundance, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 60 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on a sexual abuse charge. Silva will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The FBI arrested Silva on April 4, 2017, on an indictment that charged him with sexually abusing an Indian woman on May 1, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.
On Oct. 12, 2017, Silva pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on May 1, 2016, he sexually abused a Navajo woman. Silva admitted engaging in the sexual act while knowing that the victim was incapable of declining to participate in, or communicating the unwillingness to engage in, the sexual act.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Spindle pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
McKinley County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Johtonnie Yazzie, 30, of Rocksprings, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 45 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for possessing child pornography. Yazzie also will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
The FBI and McKinley County Sheriff’s Office arrested Yazzie on Dec. 20, 2016, on an indictment, which was filed on Dec. 7, 2016, charging him with possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to the indictment, Yazzie committed the crime between Jan. 2016 and May 2016, in McKinley County, N.M.
On Jan. 8, 2018, Yazzie pled guilty to the indictment. In his plea agreement, Yazzie admitted that from Jan. 2016 through May 2016, he downloaded videos and images of child pornography from the internet and saved them onto his cellular phone. Yazzie acknowledged that his cellphone contained 366 images and 61 videos of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Albuquerque Felon Sentenced to Eight Years for Unlawful Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Daniel Penrod, 29, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 96 months (eight years) of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws by being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) arrested Penrod in Jan. 2018, on a criminal complaint that charged Penrod with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Jan. 16, 2018, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, while Deputy U.S. Marshals were executing an arrest warrant on Penrod for a probation violation, Penrod attempted to flee. During the pursuit that ensued, Penrod turned towards a Deputy U.S. Marshal and drew a loaded firearm out of his waistband, whereupon the Deputy U.S. Marshal disarmed and arrested Penrod.
On May 3, 2018, Penrod pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Penrod admitted that he possessed a firearm, which he pulled from his waistband as he turned toward the Deputy U.S. Marshal who was pursuing him on Jan. 16, 2018. Penrod acknowledged that at the time, he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle, 2nd degree murder, and battery upon a police officer.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Felon from Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ronald J. Martinez, 44, an enrolled member and resident of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Martinez was arrested in April 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting an officer of the Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police Department (Police Department) with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the complaint, the offenses occurred when the officer responded to a call reporting that Martinez was threatening to shoot himself. When the officer arrived at the scene, Martinez assaulted the officer by threatening him with a large wooden stick. A shotgun was seized from the residence after Martinez was subdued and taken into custody.
Martinez was indicted on May 24, 2017, and was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleged that Martinez committed the crimes in April 2017, on Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo in Rio Arriba County, N.M. At the time, Martinez was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for shooting at a dwelling, unlawful use of a firearm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Martinez pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Martinez admitted that on April 20, 2017, he unlawfully possessed a loaded firearm on Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. Martinez acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
At sentencing, Martinez faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Martinez remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s, Office of Justice Services and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas.
Navajo Man from Pine Hill, N.M., Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Asa Jake, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Pine Hill, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to child sexual abuse charges. Jake’s plea agreement recommends a 15-year prison sentence followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. He also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Jake was arrested on April 25, 2018, on an eight-count indictment charging him with sexually abusing a child under the age of 12 between Nov. 2013 and Dec. 2015. The indictment alleged that Jake committed two acts of abusive sexual contact between Aug. 2015 and Dec. 2015, and six acts of aggravated sexual abuse between Nov. 2013 and Dec. 2015. According to the indictment, Jake committed the crimes on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Jake pled guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact. In entering the guilty plea, Jake admitted sexually abusing the child, who was under the age of 12, on two separate occasions between Aug. 2015 and Dec. 2015, at a location on the Navajo Indian Reservation.
Jake has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Ramah Navajo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa C. Dimas is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Las Cruces Man Arraigned on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Steven Vaillancourt, II, 45, of Las Cruces, N.M., was arraigned this morning in federal court on an indictment charging him with child pornography offenses. Vaillancourt entered a not guilty plea to the charges during this morning’s arraignment hearing, and was ordered detained pending trial based on judicial findings that he poses a risk of flight and a danger to the community.
The indictment on which Vaillancourt was arraigned during today’s proceedings was filed on July 18, 2018. It charges Vaillancourt with two counts of distributing child pornography and three counts of possessing child pornography. According to the indictment, Vaillancourt committed the offenses in March 2018 in Dona Ana County, N.M.
Vaillancourt was arrested on child pornography offenses in March 2018. According to the criminal complaint in which he was charged, Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant on an email account, which revealed that Vaillancourt allegedly had been communicating with another individual about sharing and producing child pornography of that individual’s minor children. Vaillancourt also allegedly sent three child pornography images to the individual’s cellular phone through text messaging.
The statutory penalty for a conviction on a distribution of child pornography charge is a mandatory minimum of five years and maximum of 20 years of imprisonment. The statutory penalty for a conviction on a possession of child pornography charge is a maximum of 20 years in prison. Charges in criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Las Cruces Police Department with assistance from the National Recognizance Office, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. Individuals with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse are encouraged to contact the Children’s Advocacy Center at (575) 526-3437, or to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Production of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Christopher Glotfelty, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court to production and possession of child pornography charges. Glotfelty entered the guilty plea under a plea agreement that recommends that he be sentenced to a 25-year term of imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release. Glotfelty also will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
The FBI charged Glotfelty in a criminal complaint filed on June 6, 2017, with producing and possessing child pornography from March 2014 through May 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the complaint, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) initiated an investigation into Glotfelty in May 2017, after receiving information and evidence supporting allegations that Glotfelty produced child pornography of himself engaging in sexual activity with two minor victims. The complaint alleged that images of child pornography were contained in four thumb drives, two memory sticks, and a camera that allegedly belonged to Glotfelty.
Glotfelty and his co-defendant and wife, Danielle Glotfelty, 32, were charged with child pornography offenses in a six-count indictment that was filed on July 11, 2017. The indictment charged Glotfelty and Danielle Glotfelty with producing child pornography on March 5, 2014. It also charged Glotfelty with producing child pornography on April 29, 2014, and possessing child pornography on two thumb drives and a memory stick within a camera on May 11, 2017. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the crimes in Bernalillo County.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Glotfelty pled guilty to one count of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Glotfelty admitted that on March 5, 2014, he used a digital camera to produce child pornography of a seven-year-old child, and saved the video recording on a memory stick within the digital camera. Glotfelty also admitted that from 2014 through May 2017, he possessed a thumb drive that contained approximately 297 images and nine videos of child pornography.
Glotfelty has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
Danielle Glotfelty has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against her and is pending trial. Charges in criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the APD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathon M. Gerson is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Federal Jury Convicts Syndicato De Nuevo Mexico Prison Gang Associate on Racketeering and Murder ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., returned a verdict today finding Anthony Cordova, 53, of Albuquerque, guilty of racketeering and murder charges following a two-and-a-half-week trial before U.S. District Judge James O. Browning.
Cordova and 11 co-defendants were charged with racketeering offenses in a four-count indictment filed in April 2016. Thereafter, three defendants entered guilty pleas. In March 2017, Cordova and nine co-defendants were charged in a three-count superseding indictment.
The superseding indictment charged the ten defendants with participating in a criminal organization known as the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) Prison Gang that engaged in acts of violence and other criminal activities, including murder, kidnapping, attempted murder, conspiracy to manufacture and distribute narcotics, and firearms trafficking. The superseding indictment alleged that the defendants were members and associates of the SNM Prison Gang, a state-wide gang operating in New Mexico prisons and in communities throughout the state. According to the superseding indictment, the SNM Prison Gang was formed in the early 1980s at the Penitentiary of New Mexico after the prison riot in Feb. 1980, and expanded throughout the New Mexico penal system. Gang members and associates allegedly are expected to remain loyal to the Gang and work to further its objectives after they have completed their prison sentences and those who do not are allegedly subject to violent forms of discipline. The superseding indictment alleged that significant goals of the SNM Prison Gang included controlling and profiting from drug trafficking both within and outside the penal system; intimidating and influencing other gangs for the purpose of expanding the network for its illegal activities; and engaging in violence to assert its gang identity and protect its territory.
The superseding indictment also charged Cordova and Christopher Garcia, 43, of Albuquerque, with committing murder in aid of the racketeering enterprise on Feb. 4, 2005, and Cordova with using a firearm to cause a death on Feb. 4, 2005. The superseding indictment charged Cordova and his co-defendants with committing the crimes charged in Bernalillo County, N.M., and other locations in New Mexico for the purpose of gaining entrance into and maintaining and increasing their stature within the SNM Prison Gang.
Trial on the two charges in the superseding indictment against Cordova began on July 9, 2018, and concluded this afternoon when the jury returned guilty verdicts against Cordova on the offenses of committing murder in aid of a racketeering enterprise and using a firearm to commit that murder.
Testimony at trial established how the SNM Prison Gang was born out of one of the bloodiest prison riots in U.S. history. In the 1980s, the Gang grew until it became the largest prison gang in New Mexico and controlled the prisons through acts of violence including murder, assault, acts of extortion, and drug trafficking. Jurors learned that the Gang’s main rule is that the SNM Prison Gang comes first regardless, and if someone disrespects a Gang member in any way, the SNM Prison Gang must retaliate. The penalty for violating the SNM Prison Gang’s rules – including cooperating with law enforcement, being a member of a rival gang, or disrespecting an SNM gang member – is death. Jurors learned that the importance of drugs, power, and respect of the SNM Prison Gang is not confined within prison walls, but extend beyond those walls.
The jury also learned about the SNM Prison Gang’s structure from several SNM Prison Gang members and former members who testified during the trial. They learned about “associates” like Cordova, who are non-gang members who associate with the Gang and help the Gang’s cause by running drugs for SNM drug dealers and sending drugs and money to SNM Prison Gang members serving prison sentences. “Prospects” of the SNM Prison Gang are individuals interested in becoming members of the Gang. “Soldiers” are Gang members who commit the violence and enforce the rules at the direction of Gang leaders. “Hitters” are members who traffic drugs for the SNM Prison Gang, supply members with drugs and use drugs as a means of controlling individuals, including corrections officials. “Key holders” are those at each prison facility who are control and call the shots within the facility. The main leader is in charge of the entire SNM Prison Gang and gang members carry out his orders.
Jurors heard from law enforcement officers and cooperating Gang members that when an SNM member is released from prison, they are expected to continue to support the Gang through criminal activity, including by drug trafficking. Garcia was the main drug dealer and supplier for the SNM Prison Gang and held significant power outside of prison. SNM members released from prison were sent to Garcia for their “starter kit” of drugs to start dealing. The victim in this case, “S.D.,” was a problem for the SNM Prison Gang beginning in approximately 2001, and in Feb. 2004, he made the fatal mistake of disrespecting Garcia, a SNM Prison Gang member, by shooting him in the stomach. SNM had to retaliate against that disrespect and a bounty was placed for the murder of “S.D.”
Testimony at trial established that in Feb. 2005, Cordova and another individual agreed with Garcia to murder “S.D.” Garcia planned a trip to Las Vegas, Nev., so that he would have an alibi, and provided Cordova with firearms to use in murdering “S.D.” Evidence established that on the evening of Feb. 4, 2005, Cordova and the other individual drove to a gas station where “S.D.” was known to sell drugs, and Cordova told the other individual to kill “S.D.” The other individual did not ultimately shoot “S.D.,” so Cordova took it upon himself to commit the murder. Cordova followed “S.D.,” on a secluded road, and fired five shots, killing “S.D.,” by shooting him in the neck and chest. Testimony established that Cordova killed “S.D.,” in exchange for payment in money and drugs from Garcia in retaliation for “S.D.,” disrespecting SNM when he shot Garcia.
The jury deliberated approximately seven hours before returning the guilty verdict.
At sentencing, Cordova faces a statutory mandatory penalty of life imprisonment. Cordova has been in custody since his arrest in May 2016, and will remain detained pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
Cordova’s nine co-defendants in the superseding indictment have pleaded guilty or have been convicted in related prosecutions to the SNM prison gang.
This case was investigated by Albuquerque Division of the FBI with assistance from the New Mexico Corrections Department, New Mexico State Police, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Correctional Center, Albuquerque Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and the El Paso, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Knoxville FBI Divisions. Assistant U.S. Attorneys of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Facing Federal Drug Charge Following Ten Pound Methamphetamine Seizure at U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint North of Las CrucesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This morning, a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., found probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging Mario Javier Jauregui-Alvidrez, 43, a Mexican national, with a methamphetamine trafficking offense arising out of the seizure of ten pounds of methamphetamine at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in southern New Mexico on July 16, 2018. Jauregui-Alvidrez was remanded into custody pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Jauregui-Alvidrez on July 16, 2018, after seizing approximately 4.5 kilograms (10.1 pounds) of methamphetamine allegedly concealed in Jauregui-Alvidrez’s vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, the agents allegedly found the methamphetamine while inspecting Jauregui-Alvidrez’s vehicle at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 25 north of Las Cruces, in Dona Ana County, N.M.
If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Jauregui-Alvidrez faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison, and will be deported after serving his term of incarceration. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Las Cruces office of the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Mescalero Apache Man from Ruidoso Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Nathan Little, 31, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Ruidoso, N.M., pled guilty on July 20, 2018, in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to assaulting a federal officer.
The BIA arrested Little on April 27, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a federal officer in Nov. 2017. According to the criminal complaint, Little assaulted a BIA officer on Nov. 18, 2017, punching him in the face repeatedly while he was being booked into custody at the Lincoln County Detention Center in Lincoln County, N.M., following a traffic stop that revealed that Little had outstanding warrants.
On July 20, 2018, Little pled guilty to a felony information charging him with assault on a federal officer. In entering the guilty plea, Little admitted assaulting a BIA officer on Nov. 18, 2017, by punching him in the face.
Little has been in federal custody since his arrest on the criminal complaint and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Little faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Legal Permanent Resident from Mexico Facing Federal Drug Charge Arising from 12.57 Pound Cocaine Seizure in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This morning, a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., found probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging Jorge Luis Vargas-Talamantes, 29, a legal permanent resident from Mexico who resides in El Paso, Texas, with a cocaine trafficking offense. The charge arises from a U.S. Border Patrol seizure of 12.57 pounds of cocaine at a checkpoint in southern New Mexico on July 16, 2018. Vargas-Talamantes was remanded into custody pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Vargas-Talamantes on July 16, 2018, after seizing approximately 5.7 kilograms (12.57 pounds) of cocaine allegedly concealed in Vargas-Talamantes’ vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, the agents allegedly found the cocaine while inspecting Vargas-Talamantes’ vehicle at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 54 south of Alamogordo, N.M., in Otero County, N.M.
If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Vargas-Talamantes faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison, and will be deported after serving his term of incarceration. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Las Cruces office of the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara Cobos is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Arising out of Seizure of 9.25 Pounds of Heroin and 1.46 Pounds of Fentanyl at U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint on I- 25 North of Las CrucesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of the DEA’s El Paso Division, and Chief Patrol Agent Aaron A. Hull of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector announced that a Mexican national has pleaded guilty to heroin and fentanyl trafficking charges. Roberto Esmerardo Lopez-Gaxiola, 35, pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to charges arising out of the seizure of more than nine pounds of heroin and more than a pound of fentanyl at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in southern New Mexico in March 2018.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Lopez-Gaxiola on March 14, 2018, after seizing approximately 4.2 kilograms (9.25 pounds) of heroin and 661.6 grams (1.46 pounds) of fentanyl concealed in Lopez-Gaxiola’s vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, the agents found the heroin and fentanyl in Lopez-Gaxiola’s vehicle during an inspection at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint located on Interstate 25 north of Las Cruces near Truth or Consequences, N.M., in Sierra County, N.M.
During yesterday’s change of plea hearing, Lopez-Gaxiola pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of heroin and fentanyl with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Lopez-Gaxiola admitted that on March 14, 2018, U.S. Border Patrol agents found seven bundles containing approximately 4.2 kilograms of heroin and six bundles containing approximately 641.25 grams of fentanyl concealed in his vehicle during a routine inspection. Lopez-Gaxiola admitted that he intended to deliver the drugs to others in Albuquerque, N.M., in exchange for payment.
At sentencing, Lopez-Gaxiola faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Las Cruces Office of the DEA. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
Four More Members of Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Four more of the 22 defendants charged with federal drug trafficking and international money laundering charges in a superseding indictment filed in Aug. 2017, entered guilty pleas in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., this week
Twenty-three defendants were charged on April 19, 2017, in a 44-count indictment, as the result of a 16-month DEA-led federal investigation targeting a Mexican drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for importing large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico, and distributing the drugs in New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Kentucky and Illinois. During the investigation, law enforcement authorities seized approximately 30 kilograms of heroin, 64 kilograms of methamphetamine, 17 kilograms of cocaine, 20 kilograms of marijuana, 24 firearms, $102,000 in currency, and three vehicles. The investigation concluded in April 2017, with a multi-agency law enforcement operation that included the execution of arrest warrants in New Mexico and Texas, and six search warrants in El Paso, Tex., Sunland Park, N.M., Belen, N.M., and Albuquerque, N.M.
A superseding indictment was filed on Aug. 16, 2017, that included all of the charges from the indictment but removed one defendant. The superseding indictment charged the 22 defendants with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine between April 2016 and April 2017. It also charged nine of the defendants with participating in an international money laundering conspiracy during that same period in time. The superseding indictment also charged certain defendants with engaging in a series of substantive drug trafficking and money laundering offenses, and using communication devices (telephones) to facilitate their criminal activities, and one defendant with a firearms offense.
The superseding indictment included 77 overt acts allegedly committed by the defendants in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy, which described the expansive sweep of the DTO’s drug distribution operation and the significant quantities of drugs involved. For example, the overt acts set forth in the superseding indictment alleged that the DTO’s drug trafficking and money laundering activities extended to Kentucky, where law enforcement officers seized $15,300 in drug proceeds from a courier who was transporting the money to New Mexico in April 2016; to Oklahoma, where law enforcement officers seized 4.44 kilograms of methamphetamine from a courier in June 2016; and New Mexico, where law enforcement officers seized six kilograms of heroin and 3.56 kilograms of methamphetamine from a courier at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Oct. 2016.
The superseding indictment also included forfeiture allegations, which sought forfeiture to the United States of the proceeds of the DTO’s drug trafficking and money-laundering activities, including $56,556 seized by the DEA during the investigation.
The following four defendants entered guilty pleas this week:
- Omar Fernandez, 22, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty on July 16, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and using a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Fernandez admitted that between June 2016 and Nov. 2016, he conspired with others to distribute drugs in New Mexico and elswhere by receiving drugs that had been transported from El Paso, Texas, and southern New Mexico to Albuquerque. Fernandez acknowledged responsibility for trafficking approximately 11.64 kilograms of methamphetamine and 5.38 kilograms of heroin while he was involved in the conspiracy. At sentencing, Fernandez faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment.
- Joshua Jande Carmona, 24, of El Paso, Texas, pled guilty on July 16, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, international money laundering, and possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute. Carmona admitted in April 2017, he obtained drugs brought into the United States in southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, and transported and arranged delivery of the drugs to Albuquerque and other locations. Carmona acknowledged responsibility for attempting to traffick at least 21.99 kilograms of methamphetamine, six kilograms of heroin and $15,300 in drug proceeds from April 2016 through Oct. 2016. Carmona’s plea agreement recommends that he be sentenced to a term of imprisonment within the range of 180 and 240 months followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
- Rosa M. De Santiago, 44, of Sunland Park, N.M., pled guilty on July 16, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute. De Santiago entered her guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, De Santiago faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.
- Vanessa Reyes, 27, of El Paso, Texas, pled guilty on July 16, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, international money laundering, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and using a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Reyes admitted that in April 2017, she worked with others to transport and distribute drugs in New Mexico and other locations. Reyes admitted that in Oct. 2017, she transported approximately 4.98 kilograms of methamphetamine from El Paso, Texas, to Albuquerque, and $32,000 in drug proceeds from Albuquerque to El Paso, Texas. At sentencing, Reyes faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment.
To date, 13 of the 22 defendants have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. Six defendants have entered pleas of not guilty and are pending trial. Three defendants have yet to be arrested and are considered fugitives. Charges in indictments and criminal complaints are only accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Las Cruces and Albuquerque offices of the DEA conducted the investigation with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Border Patrol, New Mexico State Police and Hatch Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Selesia L. Winston and Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the cases as part of the OCDETF Program and the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.
The OCDETF Program is a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Eleven Years for Synthetic Cannabinoid Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson and Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of the DEA’s El Paso Division announced today that Fidal Abdeljawad, 51, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced late yesterday afternoon in federal court to 132 months of imprisonment for his conviction on synthetic cannabinoids trafficking charges. Abdeljawad will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Abdeljawad and co-defendant Ashley Watson, 31, also an Albuquerque resident, were charged with trafficking in synthetic cannabinoids in an indictment that was filed in Sept. 2015, and was superseded in Dec. 2015. The four-count superseding indictment charged Abdeljawad and Watson with participating in a synthetic cannabinoids trafficking conspiracy from March 2014 through Feb. 2015. The superseding indictment also charged the defendants with possessing synthetic cannabinoids with intent to distribute on May 8, 2014, and Feb. 19, 2015, and Abdeljawad with possessing synthetic cannabinoids with intent to distribute on May 7, 2014. Abdeljawad and Watson committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M.
The controlled substances charged in the indictment are commonly referred to as synthetic cannabinoids or “spice.” According to the DEA, over the past several years, there has been a growing use of synthetic cannabinoids. Smoke-able herbal blends marketed as being “legal” and providing a marijuana-like high have become increasingly popular because they are easily available and, in many cases, more potent and dangerous than marijuana. These products consist of plant material that has been coated with dangerous psychoactive compounds that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. These substances, however, have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human consumption, and there is no oversight of the manufacturing process. Synthetic cannabinoids often are labeled as incense to mask their intended purpose.
Abdeljawad and Watson proceeded to trial on May 1, 2017. The jury returned a guilty verdict against Abdeljawad on all four counts of the superseding indictment on May 5, 2017. The jury also returned a guilty verdict against Watson on three counts of the superseding indictment charging her with conspiracy, possession of synthetic cannabinoids with intent to distribute and attempt to possess synthetic cannabinoids with intent to distribute.
Testimony at trial established that the DEA initiated an investigation into synthetic cannabinoids trafficking in Albuquerque in 2014, after receiving information that Abdeljawad, the owner of “Sean’s Smoke Shop” on Central Avenue SE in Albuquerque, and others were distributing synthetic cannabinoids. Law enforcement officers testified that on May 7, 2014, they executed searches of “Sean’s Smoke Shop” and Abdeljawad’s van, and seized 97 packets of synthetic cannabinoids and bundles of cash totaling more than $10,000. Abdeljawad was arrested that day on state charges and later was released on bond. The next day, the DEA learned that Abdeljawad had a storage unit near “Sean’s Smoke Shop,” which was leased in Watson’s name. During a search of the storage unit, the DEA seized 549 additional packets of synthetic cannabinoids.
Other evidence at trial, including telephone conversations and text messages captured through court-authorized wire-taps, established that despite his arrest on state charges, Abdeljawad continued to distribute synthetic cannabinoids in collaboration with Watson. Abdeljawad would order shipments of synthetic cannabinoids from suppliers, who delivered the synthetic cannabinoids to Watson and she distributed the synthetic cannabinoids to others in exchange for money. On Feb. 19, 2015, the DEA intercepted a package that had been shipped to Watson. The DEA opened the package pursuant to a search warrant, and found that it contained 100 packets of synthetic cannabinoids. The DEA arrested Abdeljawad and Watson in Sept. 2015, after they were indicted.
Watson was sentenced on Sept. 7, 2017, to 48 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
The Albuquerque office of the DEA investigated this case as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy S. Vasquez and Kristopher N. Houghton prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Sentenced in New Mexico to Federal Prison for Transporting Woman Across State Lines for ProstitutionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Markell Quashan Sweargin, 20, of Lubbock, Tex., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 30 months in prison for transporting a person in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Sweargin will be on supervised release for 15 years after completing his prison sentence.
Sweargin was arrested in June 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with transporting a person in interstate commerce for the purpose of forcing the person to engage in a commercial sex act. According to the complaint, on June 14, 2017, officers of the Hobbs Police Department arrested Sweargin on state charges after responding to a domestic disturbance call from a woman (victim) who claimed that Sweargin strangled and assaulted her during an altercation arising from her refusal to engage in a sexual act with another man for money.
According to the criminal complaint, Sweargin, the victim and another person traveled from Lubbock to a hotel in Hobbs, N.M. Once in the hotel room, Sweargin attempted to coerce the victim into having sex with other men for money, and became angry when the victim refused. When Sweargin and the other person left the hotel room, a man came to the room with the expectation of having sex with the victim. After the victim refused to have sex with him, the man departed the room after telling the victim that he had come in response to an advertisement on a webpage known to advertise prostitution services. When Sweargin returned to the hotel room, he was very angry because the victim did not have sex with the man in return for money, began to hit the victim, and blocked the door to the hotel room to prevent the victim or the third person from leaving. The victim and third person fled from the room when Sweargin stepped away from the door.
On Sept. 7, 2018, Sweargin pled guilty to a felony information charging him with transporting a person across state lines for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. In entering the guilty plea, Sweargin admitted that on June 14, 2017, he traveled from Lubbock to Hobbs with the victim with the intention of having the victim engage in prostitution in New Mexico.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations Las Cruces office and the Hobbs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Arising out of Northern New Mexico Violent Crime Spree in July 2017Read the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Lane Michael Reed, 24, of Killeen, Texas, pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to armed robbery, carjacking and firearms charges arising out of a two-day violent crime spree in July 2017. Reed entered the guilty plea under a plea agreement that recommends that he be sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson said Reed is being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Reed was arrested in Aug. 2017, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with interfering with interstate commerce by robbery, taking a vehicle from another by force and violence, using, brandishing and discharging a firearm during crimes of violence, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to the criminal complaint, on the morning of July 25, 2017, Reed robbed a gas station and convenience store in San Jose, N.M., by brandishing a firearm at a clerk and a small child and taking money from the cash register. Shortly thereafter, the storeowner entered the store and Reed brandished a firearm at the storeowner and robbed the storeowner of the keys to his vehicle and a firearm. Reed then departed the store in the storeowner’s vehicle and soon encountered officers of the New Mexico State Police and Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office who responded to a “be on the lookout” callout for Reed. While driving on the frontage road to Interstate 25 and southbound on the Interstate and seeking to evade the officers, Reed discharged a firearm in the direction of the officers, some of whom returned fire.
Officers of the New Mexico State Police and Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office arrested Reed without incident on Interstate 25 near Mile Post 247, on state charges filed by the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Reed remained in state custody until he was transferred to federal custody on Aug. 28, 2017, to face the federal charges against him.
Reed was indicted on Sept. 21, 2017. The seven-count indictment charged Reed with robbing a gas station and convenience store, a business engaged in interstate commerce, in Raton, N.M., on July 24, 2017 and brandishing a firearm during the robbery. The indictment also charged Reed with robbing a gas station and convenience store, also a business engaged in interstate commerce, in San Jose, N.M., on July 25, 2017, and brandishing a firearm during that robbery. It also charged Reed with carjacking a vehicle in San Miguel County on July 25, 2017, and discharging a firearm during that carjacking. Finally, the indictment charged Reed with being a convicted felon unlawfully in possession of a firearm on July 24 and 25, 2017.
During today’s proceedings, Reed pled guilty to robbing the gas station and convenience store in San Miguel County and brandishing a firearm during the robbery, and to the carjacking charge. In entering the guilty plea, Reed admitted that on July 25, 2017, he violated the Hobbs Act by entering the Pecos River Station convenience store, pointing a firearm at the store clerk, threatening her with a firearm, and demanding money and keys to a vehicle. Reed also admitted confronting the storeowner, who was armed, and disarming the storeowner and taking his firearm and the keys to his vehicle.
In his plea agreement, Reed admitted that after robbing the Pecos River Station convenience store, he attempted to evade arrest by driving at speeds up to 140 miles an hour and discharged his firearm at the law enforcement officers who were pursuing him. During the pursuit, Reed caused extensive damage to the vehicle he stole as well as extensive damage to the law enforcement vehicles that were pursuing him.
Reed has been in federal custody since his arrest in Aug. 2017. He remains detained pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI, the New Mexico State Police and the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe is prosecuting the case.
Kewa Pueblo Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ruben Cheykaychi, 29, an enrolled member and resident of Kewa Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 28 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on an assault charge.
The BIA arrested Cheykaychi in May 2017, on an indictment charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. According to the indictment, Cheykaychi committed the crime on April 20, 2016, on the Kewa Pueblo Indian Reservation in Sandoval County, N.M.
On Feb. 27, 2018, Cheykaychi pled guilty to the indictment and admitted assaulting his former girlfriend on April 20, 2016, after seeing her vehicle parked in an area of Kewa Pueblo. In his plea agreement, Cheykaychi stated that, after a failed attempt to engage the victim in conversation, he became upset and began yelling at her. Cheykaychi admitted retrieving a BB gun, which resembled a real handgun, from his vehicle and holding it to the victim’s head while threatening to shoot her. He also admitted putting the BB gun in the victim’s mouth while continuing to yell at her and threatening her, and attempting to take her car keys from her to prevent her from escaping.
This case was investigated by Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA, Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Felon from Belen Sentenced to Eight Years for Unlawful Possession of Body Armor and Oxycodone TraffickingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Barry Romero, 38, of Belen, N.M, was sentenced today in Albuquerque, N.M., to eight years in federal prison for his conviction on unlawfully possessing body armor and oxycodone trafficking charges. Romero will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Romero was prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Romero was arrested on Sept. 28, 2016, on a two-count indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of body armor by a felon who had been convicted of a crime of violence. Romero committed the crimes on Nov. 10, 2015, in Valencia County, N.M. At the time, Romero was prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition or body armor because of his prior felony convictions.
On Jan. 12, 2018, Romero pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of body armor by a felon who has been convicted of a crime of violence and possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Romero admitted that on Nov. 10, 2015, he was arrested at his residence in Belen, by Deputy U.S. Marshals who had a warrant for Romero’s arrest on a parole violation. During the execution of a search warrant on Romero’s residence incident to his arrest, law enforcement agents located body armor, two handgun cases, ammunition, oxycodone, and drug paraphernalia. Romero also admitted possessing the oxycodone with the intention of distributing it to others. Romero acknowledged that he was convicted of armed robbery in 2005, prior to unlawfully obtaining the body armor.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Cairns is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
Texas Man Charged in New Mexico with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens Within the United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., today found probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging Jose Alberto Garcia, 19, of El Paso, Texas, with conspiring to transport illegal aliens within the United States. During today’s proceedings, Garcia was ordered detained pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Garcia on July 11, 2018, on the offense of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens within the United States. According to the criminal complaint, the U.S. Border Patrol allegedly found 12 illegal aliens in Garcia’s vehicle on July 11, 2018, while conducting an inspection at the U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint on Interstate 25 north of Las Cruces. Garcia allegedly was being paid to transport the 12 illegal aliens to Albuquerque, N.M.
If convicted of the charge in the criminal complaint, Garcia faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis A. Martinez of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Santa Fe Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Kidnapping Charge Arising from Kidnapping and Carjacking at Ohkay Owingeh PuebloRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Luis Molina, 33, of Santa Fe, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a kidnapping charge. In entering the guilty plea, Molina acknowledged kidnapping and carjacking two women at the Ohkay Owingeh Casino and Resort in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, N.M., in Dec. 2015, and robbing them.
Molina was indicted in Dec. 2016, and was charged with two counts of kidnapping and one count of carjacking. The indictment alleged that Molina committed the crimes on Dec. 31, 2015, in Rio Arriba County, N.M.
The FBI arrested Molina on April 26, 2017, after he was transferred into federal custody from state custody where he was being held on unrelated state charges.
During today’s proceedings, Molina pled guilty to one of the kidnapping charges. In entering the guilty plea, Molina admitted that on Dec. 31, 2015, he was outside the Ohkay Owingeh Casino and Hotel and followed the two victims to their vehicle. In his plea agreement, Molina admitted that he got into the backseat of the victims’ vehicle, told the victims that he had a gun, directed them to drive away, and threatened to hurt them if they did not follow his instructions. Molina also admitted forcing the victims to drive to an ATM machine where they withdrew money, which they gave to Molina. Molina then directed the victims to drive him to Espanola, N.M., where he stole their credit cards, drivers’ licenses and social security cards.
At sentencing, Molina faces a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Molina has been in federal custody since his arrest in April 2017 and he will remain detained pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office, the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department and Espanola Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Using Interstate Communications to Threaten Elementary School StudentsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Anthony Estrada, 24, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court to 30 months in prison for his conviction on a felony information charging him with using interstate communications to threaten the lives and safety of children at a Las Cruces public elementary school. Estrada will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Estrada was arrested on a criminal complaint on Sept. 15, 2017, for using social media platforms to post threats to shoot children at a Las Cruces public elementary school. According to the complaint, the threats posted by Estrada led local schools authorities in Las Cruces to shelter students in place and shut down operations until Estrada was apprehended.
On Dec. 11, 2018, Estrada pled guilty to a felony information charging him with threatening to injure through the use of interstate communications. In entering the guilty plea, Estrada admitted that on Sept. 15, 2017, he posted a threat on social media that he was going to shoot up a Las Cruces public elementary school. Estrada further admitted that as a result of his actions, the elementary school he threatened and several other Las Cruces elementary schools were placed on lock down.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Johnny C. Black Detained on Federal Assault Charge Arising from Shots Fired at New Mexico State Police Officer on Santa Clara Pueblo LandRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Yesterday, a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., found probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging Johnny C. Black with committing an assault with a dangerous weapon by allegedly firing shots at a New Mexico State Police officer on Santa Clara Pueblo land. Black, 32, an enrolled member of the Noorvik Native Community Tribe in Alaska who resides in Santa Fe, N.M., was ordered detained pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled, based on judicial findings that he poses a risk of flight and a danger to the community.
The FBI arrested Black on July 11, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. According to the complaint, Black allegedly used a firearm to fire multiple shots at a New Mexico State Police officer after fleeing from a routine traffic stop. Black allegedly committed the offense on June 25, 2018, on Santa Clara Pueblo in Santa Fe County, N.M.
The FBI took custody of Black on July 11, 2018, after he was arrested by Santa Ana Pueblo Tribal Police Department on Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.
If convicted of the charge in the complaint, Black faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI and the New Mexico State Police with assistance from the Santa Ana Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Grant County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ruben James Torrez, 31, of Hurley, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 60 months in prison for his conviction on a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Torrez will be on supervised release for four years after completing his prison sentence.
The DEA arrested Torrez on June 23, 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute on April 24, 2017, in Grant County, N.M. According to the complaint, Torrez was arrested after the Silver City Police Department and the DEA found approximately 58.01 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle while executing a search warrant.
On Aug. 8, 2017, Torrez pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Torrez admitted that on March 30, 2017, he agreed to sell methamphetamine to an individual, who unbeknownst to him, was working with law enforcement authorities. Torrez acknowledged that before he arrived at the location for the drug transaction, Silver City Police Department officers stopped him and executed a search warrant on his vehicle, and found the methamphetamine that he intended to sell to the individual working with law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Silver City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara Cobos of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Woman Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Three Federal Employees with Deadly WeaponsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jackie Herron, 25, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to assaulting three federal employees with deadly weapons. Herron entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Herron was arrested on Feb. 22, 2018, on a three-count indictment charging her with assaulting three U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees who were engaged in their official duties in Bernalillo County, N.M. on Dec. 22, 2017. According to the indictment, Herron assaulted the first employee by threatening to run over her and pointing a firearm at her; the second employee by threatening to run over her with a car; and the third employee by pointing a firearm at him.
At sentencing, Herron faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eva Fontanez and Paul Mysliwiec are prosecuting the case.
Texas Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Federal Heroin and Methamphetamine Trafficking Conviction in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jesus Gerardo Prieto, Jr., 39, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on heroin and methamphetamine trafficking charges.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Prieto in Oct. 2017, on heroin and methamphetamine trafficking offenses in Dona Ana County, N.M. Prieto was arrested at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Las Cruces after the agents seized approximately 432 grams of methamphetamine and 117 grams of heroin that were concealed inside Prieto’s vehicle.
Prieto subsequently was charged in a five-count indictment on Jan. 17, 2018, with distributing methamphetamine on Aug. 29, 2017, in Dona Ana County; distributing methamphetamine and heroin on Oct. 6, 2017, in Luna County, N.M.; and possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute on Oct. 19, 2017, in Dona Ana County. On Feb. 26, 2018, Prieto pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce of Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock E. Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
Kewa Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Fabian Louis Bailon, 39, an enrolled member of Kewa Pueblo, N.M., who resides in Santa Fe, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assaulting a federal officer.
Bailon was arrested on Jan. 12, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a federal officer. According to the criminal complaint, Bailon was arrested on tribal charges on Nov. 26, 2017, after he assaulted a law enforcement officer of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Bailon committed the assault on San Felipe Pueblo in Sandoval County, N.M., by punching the officer in the face while the officer was conducting a traffic stop.
During today’s proceedings, Bailon pled guilty to a felony information charging him with assaulting a federal officer. In entering the guilty plea, Bailon admitted that on Nov. 26, 2017, he assaulted a BIA officer by punching the officer while the officer was conducting a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Bailon was a passenger.
At sentencing, Bailon faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Fentanyl Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jeremy Brown, 26, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to violating the federal firearms laws by possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In entering the guilty plea, Brown admitted possessing a loaded firearm on May 1, 2017, to facilitate his fentanyl trafficking activities.
The DEA arrested Brown in May 2017, and charged him with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 1, 2017. According to the complaint, DEA agents found marijuana, cocaine, methadone, $700, and several counterfeit oxycodone pills in Brown’s vehicle incident to his arrest following an investigation into Brown for suspected drug trafficking activity. The complaint alleged that the DEA previously had found that similar counterfeit oxycodone pills contained fentanyl or a combination of fentanyl and other substances.
Brown and co-defendant Crystal Campos, 33, also of Albuquerque, subsequently were charged in a five-count indictment on May 24, 2017, with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The indictment charged Brown and Campos with conspiring to distribute controlled substances from March 9, 2017 through March 11, 2017. The indictment charged Campos with distributing a controlled substance on March 10, 2017 and Brown with distributing a Schedule II controlled substance on March 10, 2017. It also charged Brown with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 1, 2017. The indictment alleged that the defendants committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Brown pled guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In entering the guilty plea, Brown admitted that on May 1, 2017, the DEA arrested him as he was attempting to meet with an individual for the purpose of selling pills containing fentanyl. Brown admitted that when he was arrested, he consented to a search of his vehicle where DEA agents found metal canisters containing fentanyl pills and a loaded firearm. Brown acknowledged that he intended to distribute the fentanyl pills to others and that he used the firearm for protection during drug trafficking transactions.
At sentencing, Brown faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of life in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Eicker as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Tucson Immigration Attorney Indicted on Federal Mail Fraud and Forgery ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Marivel Cantu-Madril, 40, of Oro Valley, Ariz., was arraigned today in federal court in Tucson, Ariz., on an indictment charging her with mail fraud and forging judicial signatures. Cantu-Madril entered a not guilty plea during the arraignment hearing and was released on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
Cantu-Madril is an attorney admitted to the State Bar of Arizona who practiced immigration and criminal defense law in Tucson, Ariz., for several years. She currently is suspended from the practice of law.
The three-count indictment, which was filed on July 3, 2018, charges Cantu-Madril with one count of mail fraud and two counts of forgery of judicial signature, and with aiding and abetting the three offenses.
Count One of the indictment charges Cantu-Madril with mailing, or causing to be mailed, an “I-765, Application for Employment Authorization,” in which she allegedly included false information about a non-citizen client seeking government approval to work in the United States to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. As alleged in the indictment, Cantu-Madril intentionally entered false information into the application to improve the prospect of approval by immigration authorities by misrepresenting the date on which her client last entered the United States, and by falsely asserting that her client was legally residing in the United States.
Counts Two and Three of the indictment allege that Cantu-Madril forged the signature of a clerk of court for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. As alleged in the indictment, Cantu-Madril falsely authenticated two payment receipts from the Ninth Circuit by forging the clerk’s signature on the documents.
If convicted, Cantu-Madril faces maximum statutory penalty of twenty years of imprisonment on mail fraud offense and five years of imprisonment on the forgery offenses.
Charges in indictments are merely accusations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
The investigation of the case, which is ongoing, is being handled by the Tucson field office of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Sullivan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case. Individuals who may have information that is pertinent to the investigation are asked to contact HSI at 866-347-2423.
Cantu Madril IndictmentPreviously Convicted Sex Offender from Albuquerque Arraigned on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – James Highfield, 63, of Albuquerque, N.M., was arraigned this morning in federal court on an indictment charging him with child pornography offenses and committing a federal sex offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender. Highfield entered a not guilty plea to the charges during this morning’s arraignment hearing. Highfield was ordered detained pending trial based on judicial findings that he poses a risk of flight and a danger to the community.
U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson said that Highfield, whose criminal history includes two prior convictions for sex offenses including a child sex offense and who was required to register as a sex offender, is being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
The indictment, which was filed on June 26, 2018, charges Highfield with six counts of production of child pornography and one count of commission of a felony sex offense involving a minor by an individual required to register as a sex offender. The first six counts of the indictment allege that on six dates in Sept. 2017 and Oct. 2017, Highfield persuaded, enticed and coerced a child under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct so he could produce child pornography. Count 7 alleges that Highfield, an individual required to register as a sex offender, committed the sex offenses involving a minor that are charged in the first six counts of the indictment. The indictment alleges that Highfield committed the offenses in Bernalillo County, N.M.
Highfield was arrested on the indictment earlier today after he was transferred into federal custody from state custody where he was being held on related state charges filed by the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The penalty for a conviction on a production of child pornography charge is a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years of imprisonment. A defendant with one prior qualifying sex offense conviction faces an enhanced penalty of a statutory mandatory minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years of imprisonment. A defendant with two prior qualifying sex offense convictions faces an enhanced penalty of a statutory mandatory minimum of 35 years and a maximum of life imprisonment.
The penalty for a conviction for committing a felony sex offense involving a minor by an individual required to register as a sex offender is ten years of imprisonment, which must be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on other offenses.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Three Individuals Arrested Based on 15 Pound Heroin Seizure at U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint in Alamogordo, New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This morning in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., three individuals made their initial appearances on heroin trafficking charges arising out of the seizure of more than 15 pounds of heroin at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in southern New Mexico on July 10, 2018. The three defendants are temporarily detained pending preliminary hearings and detention hearings, which have yet to be scheduled.
Goretty Aguirre, 18, a Mexican national, and Mario Chavez, Jr., 18, and Nicholas Ramon Diaz, 18, both of El Paso, Texas, are charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. According to the criminal complaint, U.S. Border Patrol Agents arrested the defendants on July 10, 2018, after seizing approximately seven kilograms (15.43 pounds) of heroin allegedly concealed in a vehicle driven by Chavez and in which Aguirre and Diaz were passengers. The agents allegedly found the heroin while inspecting Chavez’s vehicle at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Alamogordo, N.M., in Otero County, N.M.
If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Aguirre, Chavez and Diaz each face a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Las Cruces office of the DEA. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.