Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Heroin Trafficking
Kevin Romero, a 34-year-old man from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has pleaded guilty to methamphetamine and heroin trafficking charges in federal court. Romero and his co-defendant Phillip Barrios, also of Albuquerque, were arrested in January 2015 on a criminal complaint charging them with possession of heroin and methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
According to the complaint, Romero and Barrios attempted to sell approximately 64 grams of methamphetamine and 200 grams of heroin to undercover law enforcement agents on January 28, 2015, in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
During today’s proceedings, Romero pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with distribution of methamphetamine and heroin. Romero admitted that on January 28, 2015, he provided methamphetamine and heroin to Barrios with the knowledge that Barrios intended to distribute to other individuals who were undercover New Mexico State Police officers. Romero admitted that he and Barrios sold 59.62 grams of actual methamphetamine and 237.7 grams of heroin to the undercover officers.
Romero faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled. Barrios previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced on August 19, 2015.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana B. Long.
This case is being prosecuted pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. The HOPE Initiative aims to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths in the District of New Mexico through five components: prevention and education, treatment, law enforcement, reentry, and strategic planning.
The HOPE Initiative is a key part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis in New Mexico. By targeting members of major heroin trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution, the HOPE Initiative aims to disrupt the supply of illicit opioids in the state and reduce the number of overdose deaths.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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