California Man Flees Border Patrol at High Speed

California Man Pleads Guilty to Fleeing U.S. Border Patrol

A 39-year-old man from California has pleaded guilty to fleeing from a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint at a high rate of speed in New Mexico.

Carlos Torres, of Huntington Park, Calif., entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M.

According to the criminal complaint, Torres was arrested on Jan. 28, 2015, during a routine inspection at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 10 in Doña Ana County, N.M.

As agents were walking towards Torres’ vehicle, Torres drove away from the checkpoint and led agents in a high speed pursuit. When he was arrested the agents found approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine in Torres’ vehicle.

Torres pled guilty to a felony information charging him with high speed flight from a immigration checkpoint and fleeing from federal law enforcement agents.

At sentencing, Torres faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

The case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the U.S. Border Patrol and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edwin Garreth Winstead, III of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

Torres is currently awaiting sentencing and will face the consequences of his actions. The community will be watching as this case unfolds.

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