Javier Castruita, Cocaine Trafficking, New Mexico 2020

Cocaine Trafficking Rings Busted in New Mexico

In a major blow to the cocaine trade in southern New Mexico, 24 individuals have pleaded guilty to various charges related to cocaine trafficking.

At the center of the investigation is Javier Castruita, 45, of Anthony, N.M., who entered a guilty plea yesterday to cocaine trafficking charges in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M. His guilty plea resolves the last remaining case charged as a result of a multi-agency investigation that culminated in the filing of drug trafficking charges against 28 residents from Doña Ana County, N.M., and El Paso County, Texas, last spring.

Castruita and 27 others were charged in 12 criminal complaints with distributing cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana in and around southern Doña Ana County. The investigation led by the FBI’s Las Cruces Cross-Border Drug Violence Hybrid Squad and Southern New Mexico Gang Task Force targeted known drug dealers in southern Doña Ana County.

During the course of the investigation, officers oversaw approximately 40 covert drug buys and the purchase of five firearms from the defendants. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.

The cases were investigated by the FBI’s Las Cruces Cross-Border Drug Violence Hybrid Squad, the Las Cruces-Doña Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shaheen P. Torgoley and Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

Castruita faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison at sentencing. Other notable defendants include Gloria Portillo Valdivia, 51, and Carlos Alberto Valdivia, 56, both of Anthony, N.M., who were charged with cocaine trafficking offenses. Portillo Valdivia pled guilty on Sept. 12, 2013, and was sentenced on Dec. 4, 2013, to ten months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Valdivia pled guilty on Oct. 4, 2013, under a plea agreement that requires the imposition of an 84-month prison sentence.

Abel Romero, 29, of Anthony, N.M., Victor Cano, 30, of Anthony, N.M., and Jaime Cano, 30, of Canutillo, Texas, were charged with cocaine and marijuana trafficking offenses. Romero also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Victor Cano pled guilty on Nov. 7, 2013, under a plea agreement that requires the imposition of a sentence in the range of 30 to 37 months in prison. Jaime Cano also pled guilty on Nov. 7, 2013, under a plea agreement that requires the imposition of a sentence in the range of 40 to 60 months in prison. On Dec. 5, 2013, Romero pled guilty under a plea agreement that requires the imposition of a 131-month prison sentence.

Noe Perez-Rodriguez, 46, of Berino, N.M., and Larry Valles, Sr., 50, of Los Lunas, N.M., each pled guilty on Sept. 12, 2013, to methamphetamine trafficking offenses. The cases mark a significant blow to the cocaine trade in southern New Mexico and demonstrate the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.

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