District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was indicted on federal sexual abuse charges related to an alleged assault.

According to court records, on June 11, 2024, Karl Devain Escobar, 33, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, engaged in a sex act with Jane Doe using force and without her consent.

Escobar is charged with sexual abuse and aggravated sexual abuse. He will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Escobar faces up to life in prison.

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Torreon man pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing firearms after reportedly using one of them in a shooting and being involved in a series of shooting incidents on the Navajo Nation between July 2024 and September 2025.

According to court documents, between July 2024 and September 2025, Cisco Whitehorse, 43, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was believed to have possessed and used firearms during a series of four shooting incidents on the Navajo Nation.

In July 2024, Whitehorse fired from or around his vehicle at John Doe 1 after the victim drove past, striking him three times. In August 2024, he was accused of firing from his residence at John Doe 2 as the victim drove by. In August 2025, Whitehorse again opened fire from his residence at a vehicle driven by John Doe 1. In September 2025, he fired multiple rounds from his vehicle near a local government building before fleeing at a high rate of speed.

On October 24, 2025, the FBI executed a search warrant at Whitehorse’s residence and recovered three firearms and ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Whitehorse was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, and he is now pleading guilty to that offense.

Whitehorse pleaded guilty to being felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At sentencing he faces up to 15 years in prison.

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Silver City man has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing firearms and ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony.

According to court documents, on December 10, 2024, officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Max Flores, 54, a previously convicted felon with an active arrest warrant who was on federal probation after serving 168 months in federal prison and located a firearm in the vehicle. On April 26, 2025, following an unrelated incident, officers executed a search warrant at Flores’ residence and recovered several firearms and ammunition.

Flores pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At sentencing he faces up to 15 years in prison.

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

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Silver City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Randy M. Castellano prosecuted the case. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man pleaded guilty to federal drug and firearm offenses after agents recovered methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms during a search of his residence.

According to court documents, on April 3, 2024, FBI and Metro Narcotics Task Force agents executed a search warrant at the residence of Enrique Alan Ramirez, 46, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. During the search, agents recovered four firearms and over 68 grams of methamphetamine and over 55 grams of fentanyl. Ramirez, who has a prior felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Ramirez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. At sentencing he faces no less than 15 years and up to life years in prison.

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

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces/ Doña Ana County Meto Narcotics. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man with prior felony convictions has been charged in federal court with fentanyl trafficking and multiple firearm offenses after allegedly threatening victims with a handgun and later possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl while armed.

According to court records, on July 5, 2025, Kenneth Manuel Aguirre, 43, allegedly pointed a handgun at three victims during an incident outside his residence in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office deputies took Aguirre into custody and recovered a handgun and suspected fentanyl pills from his vehicle, as well as a rifle, ammunition, and other firearm accessories from his residence.

Subsequently, on August 13, Aguirre allegedly possessed with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and carried a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.

Aguirre is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Aguirre is charged federally with three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count each of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Aguirre faces a minimum of 10 years and up to 40 years in prison.

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

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the Las Cruces/Dona Ana Metro Narcotics and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington woman pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, investigators with the FBI and the Region II Task Force conducted a joint investigation that included multiple controlled drug purchases from and surveillance of Tasheena Hoskie, 44, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. On July 12, 2024, investigators attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Hoskie’s vehicle as it traveled from Arizona to New Mexico. Hoskie initially stopped but then fled at high speed, throwing packages from the vehicle. After her vehicle was disabled, Hoskie was taken into custody. Inside the vehicle, investigators recovered approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine, roughly 4,130 fentanyl pills, and two firearms. Investigators also recovered approximately 548 grams (1.2 pounds) of methamphetamine that had been thrown from the vehicle.

Hoskie pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and using, carrying and possessing a firearm during and in relation to and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At sentencing Hoskie faces not less than ten years and up to life in prison.

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

The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Region II Narcotics Task Force, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Farmington Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An El Paso man has been charged in connection with an alleged alien smuggling operation after federal agents uncovered a stash house containing sixteen undocumented individuals following a failed smuggling attempt.

According to court records, on February 13, 2026, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Border Patrol agents responded to a failed alien smuggling attempt involving a tractor trailer carrying nineteen undocumented individuals at the Las Cruces Border Patrol Checkpoint on Interstate 25. Through interviews and investigative findings, agents identified a suspected stash house at a residence in El Paso, Texas.

On February 26, 2026, agents executed the search warrant at the residence and encountered approximately sixteen undocumented individuals inside. All stated they were not citizens of the United States and did not possess lawful immigration documents. The individuals were transported to the El Paso Border Patrol Station for processing.

During subsequent interviews, two material witnesses identified Crescencio Pacheco Olvera, 37, as the caretaker of the stash house and as a transport driver involved in the smuggling operation. One witness stated that after illegally entering the United States through a hole cut in the international border fence near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, they were transported to the El Paso residence by Pacheco Olvera.

Pacheco Olvera is charged with conspiracy to harbor, transport, and bring in undocumented individuals and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Pacheco Olvera faces up to 10 years in prison.

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

HSI Las Cruces investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha V. Henson is prosecuting the case.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock woman was sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting and stabbing another woman.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on November 21, 2024, Angelia Garcia, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, repeatedly stabbed Jane Doe in an unprovoked attack. As a result of the attack, the victim sustained serious wounds, including a wound to the back of her neck. During a subsequent interview with agents, Garcia admitted to stabbing the victim.

Garcia subsequently pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Upon her release from prison, Garcia will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Pahl is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A To’hajiilee man faces federal charges in connection with the shooting of two Navajo Nation Police Department officers.

According to court records, on March 6, 2026, Russell Secatero, 29, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly shot and injured two Navajo Nation Police Department officers during a law enforcement response to reports of gunfire near a residence in To’hajiilee, New Mexico.

Authorities allege Secatero hid inside a closet attached to the residence and fired at officers with a rifle, striking Officer John Doe in the arm and back and injuring Officer Jane Doe when a round hit her firearm and shrapnel struck her arm.

According to the criminal complaint, Officer John Doe returned fire, wounding Secatero, who was later transported along with both officers to a hospital.

Investigators reported recovering two AR-style rifles and shell casings from the closet where Secatero was found.

Secatero is charged federally with two counts each of assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Secatero faces 20 years in prison.

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man pleaded guilty in federal court to shooting and killing another man.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of June 5, 2024, Damian Amarillo, 21, a member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, shot and killed John Doe in a neighborhood in Dulce, New Mexico, within the exterior boundaries of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. The shooting followed an earlier confrontation at Amarillo’s residence. After John Doe left the residence, Amarillo chased him through the neighborhood, assaulted him, and then shot him. John Doe died from his injuries at the scene. Witnesses observed multiple individuals fleeing after the gunshots.

Amarillo pleaded guilty to second degree murder and remains in custody pending sentencing. He faces up to life in prison.

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

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A California man with ties to Albuquerque pleaded guilty in federal court to sex trafficking two minors and transporting them to New Mexico for commercial sex acts, and a second defendant pleaded guilty to concealing the offense.

According to court documents, in December 2024, Roderick Norseweather Jr., 26, recruited two minors in California and transported, provided for, and maintained them for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts. Norseweather purchased cell phones for the minors, required them to use the Life360 app—an application designed to monitor family members—so he could monitor their locations, created a coded emoji system to track their commercial sex activity, rented hotel and motel rooms, and paid for food, clothing, and other services to keep them engaged in commercial sex for his benefit.

On December 29, 2024, Norseweather sent the two minors and Tajahne Johnson, 22, by Amtrak from California to New Mexico using tickets he purchased so the minors could engage in commercial sex in another state. Johnson was aware of the plan and engaged in commercial sex alongside the minors in Albuquerque.

From December 30, 2024, through January 3, 2025, Norseweather directed the minors to engage in commercial sex through text messages and Instagram, posted commercial sex advertisements online using their photos, and arranged meetings with buyers. He later traveled to Albuquerque to collect over $3000 in proceeds from their commercial sex acts.

Court documents show that, after law enforcement made contact on January 3, 2025, Johnson texted Jane Doe 2 not to come to the area and lied to law enforcement about the minors’ relationship to Norseweather in order to conceal his involvement.

Johnson pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and remains in custody pending sentencing. She faces an agreed upon sentence of three years in prison.

Norseweather pleaded guilty to two counts of sex trafficking of children and two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He will remain in custody pending sentencing and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.

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

The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Trembley and Patrick E. Cordova are prosecuting the case.

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

In the one-week period ending March 13, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

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

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for aggravated assault, narcotics trafficking, theft, aggravated DUI, and prior immigration offenses.

In a significant case, during a vehicle stop, a Homeland Security Investigations task force officer located 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, 100 grams of fentanyl, and a loaded Glock .45 caliber pistol in a vehicle driven by Jesus Meza Lopez, a Mexican citizen. Lopez was charged with illegal reentry, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 16, 2026.

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

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual acts with a minor.

According to court documents, between December 2019, and February 2021, Deverne Torres, Jr., 45, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, performed multiple sex acts with Jane Doe, a minor who had not attained the age of 16.

Torres pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor. At sentencing he faces up to 15 years in prison.

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

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Tanisha V. Henson and Kirk Williams are prosecuting the case.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is seeking other potential victims of Torres. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bureau of Indian Affairs at (575) 464-4479. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mexican national was sentenced to 10 years in prison following her seventh conviction for re-entry of a removed alien.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on October 11, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Elena Ernestina Pedroza, 60, a Mexican national, in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. Records revealed that Pedroza had previously been convicted of re-entry of a removed alien and deported to Mexico six times, most recently in August 2025.  Pedroza was previously sentenced to a total of 88 months (7 years, 3 months) for all her prior reentry convictions combined.  The United States requested a longer sentence for deterrence.

Pedroza subsequently pled guilty to re-entry of a removed alien and was sentenced to 120 months in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Chief Patrol Agent Jesse D. Muñoz of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today.

The U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Delgado prosecuted the case. 

ALBUQUERQUE – After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Herbert Ben, Jr. of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse.

At trial, the United States presented witness testimony showing that Ben, Jr., 57, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, molested two young girls, both under 12, between 2016 and 2022. The United States also presented testimony that Ben, Jr. molested another high-school-age female in approximately 2019 as she babysat Ben, Jr.’s stepdaughters. Finally, the United States presented evidence that from roughly 2010 to 2012, Ben, Jr. molested another young female relative while she was in elementary and middle school.

For these actions, jurors found Ben, Jr. guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse, a crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment. In addition to this prison sentence, Ben, Jr. will be subject to mandatory victim restitution for the full amount of a victim’s losses, which include medical services relating to physical, psychiatric, or psychological care. After serving his prison sentence, Ben, Jr. will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to a term of supervised release of between five years and life.

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

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary C. Jones and Amy Mondragon are prosecuting these cases.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Crownpoint man pleaded guilty in federal court to strangling a woman and attacking a tribal police officer with a taser.

According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Jason K. Thompson, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, attempted to strangle Jane Doe. Law enforcement responded to the domestic violence call and attempted to take Thompson into custody. During a struggle with a Navajo Nation Police Department officer, Thompson grabbed the officer’s taser and deployed it against him with the intent to injure him. Thompson was then handcuffed and placed in the back of an NPD patrol unit. He later kicked out a window of the unit and escaped, but NPD officers recaptured him that night.

Thompson pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and assault with a deadly weapon. At sentencing he faces up to 10 years in prison.

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – Two Colorado women and an associate are charged in a drug‑trafficking and money‑laundering conspiracy that allegedly funneled methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico through New Mexico into other locations in the United States.

According to court records, between November 2023 and July 2025, Ebajelina Silva, 41, of Arvada, Colorado, and Tania Maldonado, 42, of Denver, Colorado, allegedly participated in a drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracy that moved methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico through New Mexico to other locations in the United States. Court records allege Silva coordinated narcotics pickups and deliveries with Reymondo Mandonado, 43, of Thornton, Colorado, while Maldonado allegedly helped transmit drug proceeds to individuals in Mexico through money service businesses using structured wire transfers. The investigation tied the conspiracy to repeated border crossings, communications and location data, financial records, and a July 7, 2025, traffic stop in Otero County, New Mexico, during which law enforcement seized 146.7 net kilograms of pure methamphetamine and 4.875 net kilograms of cocaine from a concealed compartment in an enclosed trailer driven by Mandonado.

Silva and Maldonado are each charged with one count of conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money. They will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, they both face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

Mandonado pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Mandonado faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force

Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Camacho is prosecuting the cases.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man pleaded guilty after being caught carrying a loaded, stolen handgun outside a Las Cruces gas station while under indictment and on community supervision for a felony robbery in Texas.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on January 14, 2025, Stephen Gregory Smith, 24, was found in possession of a loaded handgun and ammunition outside a gas station in Las Cruces, New Mexico after officers responded to reports that he was harassing customers. During the encounter, Smith admitted he had the concealed firearm in his pocket. Investigators later determined the firearm had been reported stolen earlier that day from a nearby residence. At the time, Smith was under indictment and on community supervision in Texas for a felony robbery charge, which prohibited him from possessing firearms.

Smith pleaded guilty to illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment. Upon his release from prison, Smith will be subject to two years of supervised release.

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

Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Armijo is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona woman pleaded guilty to a 2023 drunk driving crash that seriously injured two people.

According to court documents, on December 30, 2023, Shaina Shorty, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, drove while intoxicated and crashed into a vehicle occupied by Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2. As a result of the crash, both Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 sustained serious bodily injuries.

Shorty pleaded guilty to two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. At sentencing she faces up to 10 years in prison.

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty to the shooting death of an individual in the heat of passion.

According to court documents, on December 1, 2024, Glendon Laate, 49, a member of the Zuni Pueblo, shot and killed John Doe with a homemade shotgun in the heat of passion.

Laate pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. At sentencing Laate faces up to 15 years in prison.

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

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson and Michael Pahl are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A previously deported Mexican national, together with his Hobbs‑based distributor and her associates, has been charged in federal court with running a methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking network that brought large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and armed drug dealers into the Hobbs community.

According to court documents, Arturo Chihuahua‑Martinez, 61, a Mexican national previously deported from the United States, is alleged to have served as a source of supply bringing multi‑pound quantities of methamphetamine from California into Lea County, New Mexico, for redistribution in and around Hobbs. On or about February 17, 2025, Chihuahua‑Martinez was allegedly returning from Los Angeles when a Lea County Sheriff’s deputy stopped the truck on New Mexico Highway 380, near Tatum, and, following a positive canine alert, discovered a cooler and backpack containing 20 vacuum‑sealed packages with nearly 20 pounds of pure methamphetamine.

In a separate indictment, Natasha Ruiz, 33, is alleged to be a Hobbs‑based distributor who obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl from Chihuahua‑Martinez and coordinated retail‑level distribution through a network of local associates. On or about March 17, 2025, Ruiz allegedly met Chihuahua‑Martinez at a Hobbs hotel, where she picked up 421 grams of pure methamphetamine and 34.3 grams of fentanyl, which officers later recovered from a black backpack during a traffic stop.

The indictment further alleges that Ruiz used trusted associates to expand the organization’s reach by managing street‑level sales and insulating herself from direct contact with customers. On or about September 3, 2025, Ruiz allegedly agreed to sell fentanyl to an undercover agent and directed Erik L. Almaguer, 32, to complete the transaction. Almaguer then allegedly delivered 5.2 grams of fentanyl to the undercover agent for $500.

Ruiz also allegedly used Lorenzo Luna‑Espinoza, 30, Eli G. Rodriguez, 54, and Taylor Lydick, 31, to move methamphetamine into neighboring communities. On or about October 8, 2025, Ruiz allegedly supplied methamphetamine to Eli Rodriguez at a cabin in Seminole, Texas. When Eli Rodriguez left the cabin, officers stopped his vehicle and seized 44.56 grams of pure methamphetamine.

On the following day, October 9, 2025, Ruiz allegedly coordinated with Lydick to pick up methamphetamine from her the same cabin, and Lydick was later stopped while transporting 153.2 grams of pure methamphetamine.

Luna‑Espinoza, a Mexican national who had previously been removed from the United States, is alleged to have acted as both a methamphetamine and fentanyl supplier and a broker of firearms for the organization. On or about November 13, 2025, Luna‑Espinoza allegedly stored an AR‑15 rifle at another person’s residence, possessed 8.29 grams of pure methamphetamine and 22.89 grams of fentanyl in a vehicle, and discussed selling firearms, narcotics, and a ballistic vest. During one of the calls, Luna-Espinoza stated that he was not working and that he was instead concentrating on his narcotics trafficking.

The indictment charges Ruiz with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and use of a communication facility to further a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Almaguer is charged with conspiracy and distribution of fentanyl and faces up to 20 years in prison. Eli Rodriguez is charged with conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and use of a communication facility, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.  Lydick is charged with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

Luna‑Espinoza is charged with conspiracy, distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute, multiple communication‑facility counts, illegal reentry after removal, and being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.

In separate but related cases, two associates of Ruiz, Jamus Clydrell White, 38, and Gabriel Tercero, 48, are alleged to have possessed firearms and ammunition despite prior felony convictions. White is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition based on alleged conduct on or about July 10, 2024, while Tercero is charged with being a felon in possession of two handguns and ammunition on or about March 17, 2025. If convicted of the current charges, both men face up to 15 years in prison.

In another related case, Pedro Rene Palacios allegedly arranged to sell methamphetamine to a customer through Luna-Espinoza at a residence in Hobbs. On March 4, 2026, agents executed a search warrant at that residence and recovered approximately 3.5 grams of methamphetamine from Palacios’s bedroom and a firearm from his person. Palacios is charged with distribution of methamphetamine. If convicted of the current charges, Palacios faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk Williams and Renee Camacho are prosecuting these cases.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A previously convicted felon was sentenced to 100 months in prison following multiple encounters with law enforcement which resulted in the recovery of multiple firearms and large quantities of narcotics.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, between June 2022 and January 2025, Jorge De La Cruz, 30, a previously convicted felon, was repeatedly found in possession of firearms and large quantities of narcotics during multiple encounters with law enforcement in Roswell and elsewhere in New Mexico. During these incidents, officers recovered several firearms, including stolen handguns, along with methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Specifically, on June 28, 2022, Roswell Police officers responded to a report of De La Cruz armed and using drugs. Officers recovered a loaded stolen .38 revolver, methamphetamine, and other narcotics from his vehicle.

During a February 7, 2023, traffic stop, Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force (CCMNTF) agents seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, and multiple firearms from De La Cruz.

On April 16, 2024, CCMNTF agents executed a search warrant at a residence where De La Cruz was present. Officers recovered a loaded handgun, fentanyl, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and additional firearms stored in a vehicle at the property.

In a traffic stop on October 2, 2024, Pecos Valley Drug Task Force agents recovered nearly 15 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and multiple firearms from a vehicle driven by De La Cruz.

At a highway checkpoint on January 7, 2025, Border Patrol agents located 94 grams of fentanyl, methamphetamine, a stolen firearm, drug paraphernalia, and ammunition in a backpack inside a vehicle with De La Cruz. Phone records later confirmed he had coordinated the distribution of these narcotics.

On October 21, 2025, De La Cruz pled guilty to five counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Upon his release from prison, he will be subject to five years of supervised release.

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

HSI El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the Roswell Police Department U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk Williams and Renee Camacho prosecuted the case.

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

In the one-week period ending March 6, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

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

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

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

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Romanian national who participated in a large-scale fraud scheme, which used fake business websites to steal more than $1.8 million from consumers across the country, will be sentenced on March 11, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Las Cruces for the crime of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

In his plea agreement, Claudiu Pesteleu, 44, a Romanian national illegally present in the United States, admitted that from May 2023 through June 2024, he participated in a nationwide fraud scheme that used fake websites impersonating legitimate businesses to trick victims into wiring money for various consumer products, such as cars and equipment. Victims believed they were making legitimate purchases, but the funds were instead directed to the bank accounts of shell companies that were created with fake passports other fraudulent identity documents.

Pesteleu, whose role in this scheme was to help conceal the fraudulently obtained money, obtained fake identity documents and used those to organize sham businesses. He then opened bank accounts for these shell companies using these fake identity documents. These shell companies and aliases included Zammer Equipment LLC (Matthias Zammer), Super Exotic Deals LLC (Samuel Der Saar), Premier E. Liquidators LLC (Fred Laport), Adler Pre Owned LLC (Boris Adler), Bittman Motors LLC (Fritz Bittman), Nikkos Cargo LLC (Nikos Adonis) and Becker Automotive LLC (Karl Becker). Pesteleu also used the alias Thomas Muller. Consumers were directed to wire funds to accounts associated with these entities, believing they were purchasing legitimate goods.

In total, approximately $1.8 million in fraudulently obtained funds was wired by victims to bank accounts that Pesteleu controlled.   Pesteleu then conducted numerous financial transactions with the money to conceal the source of the funds and to hinder law enforcement from identifying the scheme and seizing the proceeds.

If you believe you were a victim of Pesteleu, please contact the Homeland Security Investigations tipline at 866-347-2423.

If you would like to attend the sentencing, please contact Victim Specialist Jacquie Gutierrez at (575) 522-2304 before the date of the hearing for more information.

The Homeland Security Investigations Deming investigated this case with assistance from the Gainesville, Florida Police Department. Las Cruces Criminal Chief Richard Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Ramah man was sentenced to nine years in prison for shooting into a vehicle occupied by three people after a near-collision.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on March 18, 2025,John Doe swerved his vehicle to avoid colliding with a blue Jeep driven by Leon Garcia, 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. After the near-miss, John Doe followed Garcia to a residence on the Ramah Navajo Reservation in Cibola County. When the vehicles stopped, Garcia exited his Jeep armed with a rifle, pointed the firearm at the three occupants and fired multiple shots into the vehicle with intent to do bodily harm. Garcia continued shooting as the victims attempted to turn around and again as they drove away.

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on February 15, 2025, John Albert Carrillo, Jr., 36, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, used force to commit a sexual act with a minor victim.

Carrillo pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor. Upon his release from prison, Carrillo will be subject to 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Delgado is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Española man was sentenced to 46 months in prison for attacking and severely beating his dating partner in 2023, causing serious bodily injuries over her entire body.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, in the early morning hours of September 21, 2023, Isiah Gutierrez-Arquero, 30, an enrolled member of the Santa Clara Pueblo, punched and kicked Jane Doe, threw her against a wall (causing a hole in the wall), sat on her chest, and strangled her with both hands during a beating that lasted several hours. As a result of the assault, Jane Doe sustained serious bodily injuries to her head, torso, and extremities.

Gutierrez-Arquero pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The Court recommended Defendant complete the Residential Drug Abuse Program, the Bureau of Prisons’ most intensive treatment program. Upon his release from prison, Gutierrez-Arquero will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man is facing federal charges for allegedly sexually abusing two minors.

According to court records, on or about February 9, 2026, the Zuni Tribal Police Department was notified of allegations that Vernon Rydell Sanchez, 38, an enrolled member of the Zuni tribe, sexually abused two minors. The minors were subsequently forensically interviewed and both disclosed sexual contact by Sanchez on multiple occasions. Law enforcement later interviewed Sanchez, who denied the allegations

Sanchez is charged with two counts of abusive sexual contact and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Sanchez faces up to three years in prison.

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

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

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

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

In the one-week period ending February 27, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

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

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for fleeing the scene of an accident-causing death or serious impairment, alien in possession of a firearm, and prior immigration offenses.

Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During this time period, Jose Cuyuch De Pazwas encountered by United States Border Patrol agents near 505 McNutt Road in Sunland Park, New Mexico, after illegally entering the United States on foot. When agents attempted to detain him, De Paz fled into a residential area, climbed fences, and was pursued through backyards by a uniformed agent who followed his footprints. During the apprehension, the fence gave way and both men fell forward, at which point De Paz kicked the agent multiple times in the chest as the agent tried to gain control. A second agent arrived to assist, and the agents subdued, handcuffed, and arrested De Paz. De Paz is charged with illegal reentry and assault on a federal officer, though he later claimed he did not strike or kick the agent.

So far, in Fiscal Year 2026, 18 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents have been assaulted, following 88 assaults in Fiscal Year 2025. U.S. Border Patrol is collaborating closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure that those who assault federal officers are brought to justice. This interagency cooperation is crucial in protecting the men and women who serve on the frontlines of our nation's border security efforts and in deterring future attacks on law enforcement personnel.

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

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with the deaths of three individuals on July 4, 2025.

According to court documents, on July 4, 2025, Willis Kylestewa, 42, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, drove while intoxicated with four passengers in a vehicle without working headlights. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, Kylestewa fled, speeding and swerving through traffic before losing control of the vehicle, which flipped and crashed. Kylestewa and three passengers were ejected from the vehicle and two died at the scene. A third passenger died inside the vehicle. At the hospital, Kylestewa’s blood alcohol level was .317, and THC was also detected in his system.

Kylestewa pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder. At sentencing, Kylestewa faces any number of years up to life in prison.

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

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department and Zuni Open Space. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Marshall and Amy Mondragon are prosecuting the case. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Carlsbad man is facing federal charges after allegedly firing a rifle at an Eddy County Sheriff’s Office deputy responding to a call.

According to court records, on October 19, 2025, an Eddy County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to the area of McKittrick and Hidalgo Road in Carlsbad, New Mexico, after a witness reported that Dustin Alan Henley, 35, was standing outside a truck holding a firearm. As the deputy arrived in a clearly marked patrol vehicle, Henley fired a rifle at the deputy, striking the vehicle in the engine compartment. The deputy returned fire, striking Henley multiple times. Henley dropped the rifle and fled on foot before being taken into custody.

At the time of the offense, Henley was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions.

Henley is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and he will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Henley faces up to 15 years in prison.

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

The Roswell Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner is prosecuting the case.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce was man indicted on federal charges alleging he seriously injured another individual during an assault.

According to court records, on October 27, 2025, Russell Alan Veneno, 50, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, assaulted John Doe with a table and a knife, and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.

Veneno is federally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted, Veneno faces up to 10 years in prison.

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

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Crownpoint man was sentenced to 40 months in prison for a fatal crash involving alcohol and prescription opioids.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Joey Martin, 56, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving on State Highway 371 in Crownpoint, New Mexico, with a passenger when he swerved to avoid a semitruck and lost control. His passenger was killed in the resulting crash. After the crash, Martin admitted to taking opioid pain medication an hour or two prior.

Martin pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Upon his release from prison, he will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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

The Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pahl is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man is facing federal charges after allegedly attacking an adult victim inside a vehicle, causing serious facial injuries.

According to court documents, on December 31, 2025, Dennison Billy, Jr., 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly assaulted an adult victim while the victim was driving and Billy was in the passenger seat of a vehicle. Responding officers found Billy highly intoxicated in the passenger seat and the victim nearby with visible blood and multiple injuries, including facial trauma, bruising, and a swollen finger. The victim reported exiting the vehicle to avoid further assault. Blood and hair were observed inside the vehicle. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The victim later reported Billy had been drinking and became argumentative before striking the victim multiple times, causing a possible loss of consciousness. As a result of the assault, the victim sustained serious injuries, including a fractured orbital wall and fractured nasal bones. Billy told law enforcement he had consumed a large amount of alcohol, claimed he blacked out, and said he did not remember the incident.

Billy is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Billy faces 10 years in prison.

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man has pleaded guilty to federal charges for assaulting a woman with a rifle after she tried to intervene in a suspected domestic violence incident.

According to court documents, on August 24, 2024, Jane Doe 2 saw Curley Nakai Jr., 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engage in what she believed was a domestic violence incident involving Jane Doe 1. Concerned, she followed the pickup truck in which Nakai was a passenger to the Basha’s grocery store parking lot.

At the parking lot, Nakai exited the truck carrying a rifle, made threatening gestures toward Jane Doe 2, including pointing the rifle at her, and told her to leave. Jane Doe 2 drove some distance away but remained in the parking lot. During the incident, Jane Doe 1 exited the vehicle and walked away.

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

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

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

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

In the one-week period ending February 20, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

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

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking, healthcare fraud, money laundering, human smuggling, burglary, and immigration offenses.

In one significant case, on February 13, 2026, Border Patrol agents at the Las Cruces checkpoint on I-25 stopped a tractor trailer driven by Adriana Alejandra Coss, who appeared nervous and claimed she was hauling an empty, locked trailer without a key. A canine alerted to the trailer during secondary inspection, and agents cut the lock, discovering nineteen undocumented individuals trapped inside with no way to exit. Agents also found a cooler bag in the cab containing cell phones belonging to those inside and later recovered a key in Coss’s former detention cell that opened the trailer lock. Witnesses stated they had paid smugglers, were held in stash houses, and were loaded into the trailer by multiple transporters before traveling nonstop to the checkpoint in cold conditions. The truck’s owner said Coss did not have permission to operate the vehicle and that there was no legitimate reason for the trip.

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

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces woman has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges after more than 40 grams of methamphetamine was recovered during a traffic stop.

According to court documents, investigators with the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Las Cruces/Dona Ana Metro Narcotics unit conducted a joint investigation into Ivory Hernandez, 43, for trafficking, drugs, stolen vehicles and firearms. On May 7, 2025, investigators attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Hernandez’s vehicle between Anthony and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Hernandez initially slowed down and pulled off the road but failed to fully stop before eventually complying with officers’ commands. During the stop, a canine trained to detect methamphetamine alerted to the presence of drugs inside the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed approximately 40.5 net grams of pure methamphetamine and a soft case containing drug packaging and weighing materials. Hernandez admitted she was transporting the drugs within the United States and intended to transfer them to another person.

Hernandez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. At sentencing, Hernandez faces not less than five years and up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was sentenced to ten years in prison for sexual abuse.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on August 19, 2023, Stanton Hannaweeke, 63, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, engaged in a nonconsensual sexual act with Jane Doe.

Hannaweeke pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse. Upon his release from prison, Hannaweeke will be subject to ten years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for stabbing two victims after a day of heavy drinking.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on Sunday, October 9, 2022, Harley Etcitty, now 21, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed two men after a day of heavy drinking. He stabbed one man in the back and chest and the other man, who was sleeping on a couch, in the head.

Etcitty pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Upon his release from prison, Etcitty will be subject to two years of supervised release. While in prison, Etcitty will have the opportunity to undergo the Bureau of Prisons’ Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program, an intensive cognitive-behavioral therapy program specifically designed to combat substance abuse.

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for fatally stabbing a man during an assault on the Navajo Nation.

According to court documents, on July 25, 2024, officers with the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a fight in progress near a defunct business in Shiprock, New Mexico. Upon arrival, they found John Doe lying on the ground with wounds to his face and chest. Witnesses reported that Edison Brady, 56, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, punched and kicked Doe before walking away to retrieve a knife from his nearby bag. Brady then returned to the scene and stabbed Doe multiple times. Despite life-saving measures, Doe was pronounced dead at Northern Navajo Medical Center. Officers found a knife with apparent blood stains in Brady’s possession.

Brady pleaded guilty to second-degree murder without a plea agreement. At sentencing, Brady faces up to life in prison.

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

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Jena Ritchey and Zachary C. Jones are prosecuting this case. 

ALBUQUERQUE – Two Mexican nationals were removed to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges in New Mexico.

Daniel Alfred Blanco-Joo, 39, made his initial appearance today in New Mexico after being removed from Mexico on a five-count indictment charging him with conspiracy, distribution of fentanyl, distribution of an analogue of fentanyl, and international money laundering conspiracy.

David Eliezer Seas-Centeno, 43, made his initial appearance today in New Mexico after being removed from Mexico on a charge of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

Federal agents assumed custody of Blanco-Joo and Seas-Centeno from Mexican authorities on January 21, 2026. If convicted, both face no less than 10 years and up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David B. Hirsch and Blake Nichols are prosecuting these cases.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Window Rock man is facing federal charges after allegedly stabbing another man.

According to court records, on June 17, 2025, Jacoby Edo Begay, 20, an enrolled member of Navajo Nation, assaulted John Doe with a knife and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury to Doe.

Begay is federally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted, Begay faces up to 10 years in prison.

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to federal firearms offense after pointing a handgun at occupants of a vehicle and opening fire as they attempted to flee.

According to court documents, on August 1, 2025, Bryson Chee, 43, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, arrived at a residence in Shiprock as a passenger in a vehicle with two others. After exiting the vehicle, Chee retrieved a handgun, pointed it at the occupants, and began shooting as they attempted to drive away.

Chee pleaded guilty to using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. At sentencing Chee faces not less than seven in prison.

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

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

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

In the one-week period ending February 13, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

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

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking.

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

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Fruitland man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for an assault that left the victim with severe injuries.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on May 6, 2025, Kyle Kee, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, intentionally struck the victim with his fists. As a result, the victim suffered an orbital floor fracture, nasal bone fractures, and facial disfigurement.

Kee pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Upon his release from prison, Kee will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man has been federally charged following an FBI led drug trafficking investigation that resulted in the seizure of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and multiple firearms.

According to court documents, beginning in late 2025, the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency began investigating David De La Paz, 59, and other members of a drug trafficking organization involved in narcotics distribution, illegal firearm possession, and related criminal activity in Las Cruces. On February 3, 2026, investigators obtained a federal search warrant for De La Paz’s residence in Las Cruces. The warrant was executed on February 5, 2026, with assistance from the FBI Albuquerque SWAT team. During the initial entry, De La Paz was observed standing in his bedroom next to a loaded AR-15 style rifle on the bed.

During the search, agents recovered multiple loaded firearms, most of which were located in De La Paz’s bedroom. Agents also recovered drug paraphernalia and suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine, and 30 grams cocaine, all of which field tested presumptively positive.

De La Paz is charged with possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He will remain detained pending a detention hearing, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, De La Paz faces 25 years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.

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

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

In the two-week period ending February 6, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

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

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for domestic violence, drug trafficking, aggravated assault, and prior immigration offenses.

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

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man appeared in federal court after allegedly using Molotov cocktails to ignite multiple fires at an apartment complex.

According to court documents, on January 12, 2026, Las Cruces Fire Department responded to a reported fire at the Villa Del Telshor Apartments in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Fire investigators determined the fire originated in a second-floor apartment and was intentionally set using an improvised incendiary device, commonly known as a Molotov cocktail. Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s Ring camera captured Richard Sepulveda, 47, who resided on the first floor of the complex, carrying two bottles upstairs moments before a bright flash is seen coming from upstairs. Sepulveda is then seen returning down the stairs holding one lit Molotov cocktail. He then appeared to inadvertently start a second smaller fire on the first floor, which he extinguished.

On January 13, 2026, ATF agents reviewed the footage, confirmed Sepulveda’s identity through lease records and driver’s license photographs, and verified he was not registered to possess or manufacture such a destructive device. On January 15, 2026, agents executed a search warrant at Sepulveda’s apartment and recovered shoes with apparent burn marks matching those seen in the video, multiple lighters, and Miller High Life bottle caps consistent with the incendiary devices used.

Sepulveda is charged with possession of a firearm, specifically a destructive device (Molotov cocktail), that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Act. He will remain detained pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Sepulveda faces ten years in prison.

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

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner is prosecuting the case.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – After one day of trial testimony, an Albuquerque woman pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on May 18, 2023, the FBI Violent Gang Task Force executed a search warrant at the northeast Albuquerque residence of Nora Baca, 67. During the search, agents located approximately three pounds of methamphetamine in the bedroom of Baca’s housemate and codefendant.

On September 10, 2024, following an investigation into a significant intergang drug trafficking conspiracy involving both incarcerated and non-incarcerated gang members linked to the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, New Mexico, Baca was charged in a superseding indictment with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Subsequently, on October 30, 2024, the FBI Violent Gangs Task Force and the U.S. Marshals Service conducted a coordinated operation executing search warrants at 13 locations across New Mexico, including the home of Baca. Despite being tipped off that agents were coming, more methamphetamine and a firearm were found in Baca’s home.

During the trial, the government presented evidence that Baca was a known large-scale methamphetamine dealer who had supplied others with drugs. This is Baca’s second federal conviction for drug trafficking. She was previously sentenced to 120 months in prison in 2012, which was later reduced to 92 months pursuant to the retroactive application of new federal sentencing guidelines for drug offenses, followed by four years of supervised release.

Baca pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Following her plea, the Court ordered Baca held in custody until sentencing. At sentencing, Baca faces five years in federal prison pursuant to the plea agreement, as well as supervised release and other penalties.

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

The FBI Albuquerque Division Violent Gang Task Force (VGTF) and United States Marshals Service jointly investigated this case with assistance from the CoreCivic Intelligence Unit and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and David Hirsch are prosecuting these cases.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for engaging in sexual acts with a minor victim using threats and intimidation.

There is no parole in the federal system.

In August of 2021, Fernando Yatsatie, Jr., 48, a member of the Zuni Pueblo, unlawfully engaged in a sexual act with a minor victim using threats and intimidation.

Yatsatie pleaded guilty to sexual abuse. Upon his release from prison, Yatsatie will be subject to fifteen years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.