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An 18-month investigation into a criminal organization in southern New Mexico yielded 16 arrests and the seizure of hundreds of grams of illegal drugs, federal officials announced at a Nov. 7 news conference.
The news conference doubled as an announcement of the seizures and a warning to criminal smuggling operations in New Mexico.
“If corrupt traffickers think that they can come into southern New Mexico and set up shop. They're sadly mistaken. The Drug Enforcement Administration will continue to do everything we can to partner with our state, local and federal partners, to beat them at their game and to put them in jail,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's El Paso division, Towanda James-Thorne.
The 16 people charged with federal drugs crimes are Armando Conrad Gonzales, a.k.a. "Forty," 43; Leticia Maria Rodriguez, 41; Jessica Juel Henderson, a.k.a. "J.J.," 45; Veronica Levario, 39; Richard Regan Beserra, 47; Daniel Roberto Herrera, a.k.a. "Fat Boy," 33; Ernesto Salas Flores, 63; Beatriz Adriana Gonzalez, a.k.a. Beatriz Adriana Herrera-Gonzalez, 46; Sylvia Ann Parra, 52; Amanda Lea Weinrich, 38; Phillip Andrew Estell, a.k.a. "Flip," 43; D'Anna Michelle Chavez, 47; Bruce Martin King, 68; Angel Flores, 45; and Kenneth Eric Yeager, 44; all of Las Cruces, and Antonio Valles, a.k.a. "Tony," 49, of Canutillo, Texas.
Eight more people were arrested and charged with state crimes, officials said.
“They are part of a drug trafficking organization. It's not necessarily an organization that has a formal name, but they were all working together,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Camacho.
According to the court records, officials believe that 14 of the defendants conspired to distribute drugs, specifically methamphetamine and fentanyl, and one of the defendants maintained a residence that he allowed to be used for drug distribution and use.
While serving five search warrants across Las Cruces and southern New Mexico, officials said agents seized 1,315.2 net grams of methamphetamine, 394.5 net grams of fentanyl pills (approximately 4,000 pills) and three firearms.
“During the search and arrest operations this week, authorities seized additional substantial quantities of illegal substances, including 842 grams of fentanyl, 1,118 grams of methamphetamine, 285 grams of cocaine, 36 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 400 grams of marijuana, and 96 grams of hydrocodone,” the news release said. “The search and arrest operation also resulted in the seizure of 13 firearms and $2,200 in U.S. currency.”
Camacho said that wiretaps, or using listening devices to observe other’s communications, played a key role in investigating the criminal organization.
“(The investigation) involved many different facets of organization, of investigation, as opposed to our investigations, the use of confidential informants and undercover agents. But there was a six-month wiretap investigation which gave us a great deal of the information. We also had the assistance, not only of the federal agents but of the Las Cruces Police Department and the (Doña Ana County) sheriff's department,” Camacho said, adding that federal officials relied heavily on local departments’ intelligence information.
