New Mexico Meth Trafficking Ring Member Pleads Guilty

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Three members of a Grant County methamphetamine trafficking ring, including the ringleader, Daniel Lee Jacquez, 34, of Silver City, N.M., pled guilty to methamphetamine trafficking charges after a lengthy investigation.

The investigation, which began in March 2014 and targeted a drug trafficking organization led by Jacquez, resulted in a 34-count indictment against 12 defendants. Three other defendants previously entered guilty pleas in this case.

Jacquez, who is facing a statutory minimum of 90 months in prison, admitted to distributing five to 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in Grant County from March 2014 through April 2015. He also admitted to possessing firearms and ammunition in his residence when law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on April 30, 2015.

Gary Lee Romero, 31, of Santa Clara, N.M., also pled guilty to participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Romero admitted to working with his co-defendants to distribute approximately 500 grams to 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Silver City between March 2015 and April 2015. He faces a statutory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.

Freddy J. Lucero, 47, of Silver City, pled guilty to a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Three other defendants previously entered guilty pleas in this case, including Bernice Holguin Miranda, 50, of Silver City, and Lynette Medina, 42, of Silver City, who pled guilty to conspiracy charges and to using communication devices to facilitate a drug trafficking crime.

The case was investigated by the Las Cruces offices of the DEA, HSI and FBI with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna R. Wright of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting this case.

The remaining six defendants have entered not guilty pleas to the indictment and are pending trial. Charges in indictments are only accusations, and all criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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