Abraham Martinez, Pharmacy Knife Robbery, New Mexico 2017

Abraham Martinez, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M., stood before a federal judge this morning and admitted to slashing his way into a Walgreens pharmacy with a knife and demanding Xanax from a terrified pharmacist. The Oct. 13, 2017, robbery at 2625 San Pedro Dr. NE wasn’t a smash-and-grab — it was a cold, calculated theft of pre-retail medical products, according to prosecutors.

Martinez was arrested within days of the heist on a criminal complaint charging him with violating the Hobbs Act through robbery of a business engaged in interstate commerce and possession of Xanax with intent to distribute. Surveillance footage from the pharmacy captured Martinez approaching the consultation window, producing a blade, and demanding the benzodiazepine directly from the pharmacist. He fled with bottles of the drug that had yet to reach public sale — a key detail that elevated the charge to federal theft of medical products.

On Nov. 1, 2017, a grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Martinez: one count of Hobbs Act robbery interfering with interstate commerce, and one count of theft of medical products. Today, he pleaded guilty only to the latter charge. By doing so, Martinez admitted under oath that he knowingly stole controlled pharmaceuticals that were not available to the public, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.

The case was cracked by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in Albuquerque, working hand-in-hand with the Albuquerque Police Department. These squads merge federal, state, and local resources to dismantle networks diverting legal pharmaceuticals into the illegal drug market. Martinez’s grab for Xanax — a drug often abused and trafficked in opioid-impacted communities — fits a pattern the unit has seen too often across New Mexico.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel R. Meyers is handling the prosecution as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, launched in 2015 to combat the state’s devastating opioid crisis. HOPE unites law enforcement, public health, and community groups to target trafficking, expand treatment, and reduce overdose deaths. Martinez’s case underscores how tightly linked street-level robberies are to the broader opioid epidemic.

Martinez remains in federal custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. With a maximum penalty of two decades behind bars, his fate now rests with the court. As New Mexico continues to battle drug-related violence and addiction, cases like this serve as stark reminders: the pills on pharmacy shelves can fuel a cycle of crime that starts with a knife and ends in federal prison.

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