Charterious Laquess Moore, 25, of Westpoint, Miss., is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 36 months for methamphetamine trafficking in Albuquerque, N.M. The conviction caps a nearly year-long federal case stemming from a January 2017 drug interdiction that netted nearly half a kilo of crystal meth.
On Jan. 11, 2017, Moore arrived in Albuquerque on a bus from Victorville, Calif., carrying 464.4 grams—over 1.02 pounds—of methamphetamine concealed in a heat-sealed bundle inside a pillow. The DEA moved swiftly, seizing the drugs during a routine interdiction stop. The bust exposed a cross-country trafficking route stretching from Southern California to Tupelo, Miss.
Moore was formally indicted on Feb. 7, 2017, on a single count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in Bernalillo County. Federal prosecutors alleged he planned to deliver the drugs to an associate upon return to Mississippi. Evidence, including his own admissions, tied him directly to the smuggling operation.
On Sept. 19, 2017, Moore pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with possession with intent to distribute. In court, he admitted to transporting the drugs across state lines, acknowledging the concealment method and his role in the distribution scheme. No plea deal reduced the charge; the admission sealed his fate.
The U.S. District Court in Albuquerque handed down the 36-month prison term, followed by three years of supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo prosecuted the case, emphasizing the dangers of interstate drug trafficking and the DEA’s ongoing crackdown on meth corridors through the Southwest.
The investigation was led by the DEA’s Albuquerque field office. Authorities say cases like Moore’s highlight the persistent flow of synthetic drugs across state lines—and the federal machinery built to intercept and punish those who fuel the epidemic.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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