ALBUQUERQUE – Candace Tapia, 22, of Albuquerque, N.M., took a deal today, pleading guilty in federal court to a charge of methamphetamine trafficking. The guilty plea comes after a sprawling investigation that snared over a hundred individuals in Bernalillo County.
Tapia, along with Gaspar Leal, 47, Bernadette Aurora Tapia, 49, and Brandon Candelaria, 22, were swept up in an ATF-led operation that ultimately resulted in 59 federal indictments and a criminal complaint charging a total of 104 people with firearms and narcotics offenses. The probe, launched in mid-April 2016, brought in ATF agents from across the country to address the escalating violent crime rate plaguing the Albuquerque metro area. Investigators employed a range of tactics – from undercover work to digging into the histories of repeat offenders already carrying firearms.
Federal prosecutors framed the investigation as part of a broader initiative targeting “the worst of the worst” – repeat offenders facing lengthy federal sentences. The U.S. Attorney’s Office partnered with New Mexico District Attorneys and local law enforcement to identify and prosecute individuals with extensive criminal records, aiming to keep them off the streets for as long as possible. This isn’t about low-level users; it’s about dismantling the networks fueling the violence.
The indictment against Tapia and her co-defendants, handed down on July 12, 2016, alleges a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on June 8, 2016, within Bernalillo County. Today, Tapia admitted to distributing the drug to another individual. While she’s accepted a plea deal, she’s still facing serious time.
With Tapia’s guilty plea, 52 of the 104 defendants have now admitted their involvement in the scheme. Eighteen have already been sentenced, including Bernadette Aurora Tapia. Leal and Candelaria, however, maintain their innocence and have pleaded not guilty. Remember, an indictment is not a conviction, and these defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Albuquerque office of the ATF spearheaded the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case. Tapia now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, with a sentencing hearing date still to be determined. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and expose the criminal underbelly of Albuquerque.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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