Annais Moreno, Heroin Trafficking, New Mexico 2015

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A Phoenix woman has pleaded guilty to heroin trafficking charges in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Annais Moreno, 34, pleaded guilty today to heroin trafficking charges under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Moreno and her co-defendant, Fabiola Soriano-Tlapanco, were arrested on May 16, 2015, after DEA agents found almost four kilograms of heroin concealed in their baggage during an interdiction investigation at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque.

During today’s proceedings, Moreno pled guilty to a felony information charging her with possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Moreno admitted that on May 16, 2015, she and Soriano-Tlapanco transported 3.95 kilograms of heroin while traveling through Albuquerque on the Greyhound Bus. Moreno further admitted that she was transporting the heroin from Glendale, Ariz. to Denver, Colo.

At sentencing, Moreno faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Moreno remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

Soriano-Tlapanco entered a not guilty plea to the indictment and is currently scheduled for trial in December 2015. Charges in criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the Interdiction Unit of the DEA’s Albuquerque office, which focuses on disrupting the flow of narcotics, weapons, and the proceeds of illegal activities as they are smuggled into or through New Mexico in passenger buses, passenger trains, commercial vehicles, and automobiles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case.

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 that is partnering with the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths in the District of New Mexico.

Defendant: Annais Moreno

Criminal Charges: Possession of heroin with intent to distribute

City and State: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Date: May 16, 2015

Sentence: Faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison

Category: Drug Trafficking

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Drug Trafficking

Jocquinn Lamont Harris, Fentanyl Distribution, Pennsylvania 2015

May 4, 2016

Drug Trafficking

Alfred Latrell Jackson, Heroin Distribution, Iowa 2016

Apr 13, 2016

Drug Trafficking

Ruben David Martinez, III, Methamphetamine Trafficking, New Mexico 2016

Apr 18, 2017

Drug Trafficking

Jeremey A. Phillips, Methamphetamine Manufacturing Conspiracy, Illinois 2015

Mar 10, 2015