Farmington Meth Dealer Brandon Smith Gets 5 Years

ALBUQUERQUE – Brandon Smith, 29, of Farmington, N.M., is headed to federal prison. He received a five-year sentence today after being convicted of methamphetamine trafficking. In addition to the prison term, Smith will serve three years of supervised release and forfeit $3,520.00 in cash seized during his February 2014 arrest. The feds didn’t mess around.

Smith was one of 29 individuals snared in a sprawling, multi-agency investigation targeting drug distribution in northwestern New Mexico. The takedown, which happened February 26, 2014, saw 26 defendants arrested in a coordinated operation led by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) and the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force. Two more were caught during the investigation, with the last of the 29 falling into custody on March 3, 2014. This wasn’t a quick bust; it was a methodical dismantling of a network.

The operation, dubbed “Brown Ice,” began as a year-long probe into a methamphetamine organization headed by Isaac Anaya, 31, of Farmington, N.M. It quickly expanded, revealing a wider web of drug activity throughout San Juan County. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), meaning the feds threw serious resources at this case, combining federal and local agencies to bring down the operation. Thirteen of the defendants, including Anaya, faced a 15-count federal indictment alleging conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine between May and September 2013. The remaining 16 were hit with state-level drug and firearms charges.

Law enforcement seized a significant haul during the investigation: approximately five pounds of methamphetamine and five firearms. The February 24, 2014 operation involved the execution of eleven federal search warrants – hitting two Bloomfield residences, four Farmington residences, two residences in San Juan County, two businesses in Bloomfield and Farmington respectively, and a Bloomfield storage unit. Three state search warrants were also executed. The searches turned up a disturbing collection: numerous firearms, including a fully automatic Glock 19, a short-barreled rifle, a carbine with an obliterated serial number, blasting caps, binary explosives, and 31.7 grams of methamphetamine.

As of today, seven of the thirteen federal defendants, including Anaya, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Five others maintain their innocence, and will be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is far from closed, and more convictions are likely on the way.

The investigation was a collaborative effort, involving HSI Albuquerque, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, HIDTA Region II, and the police departments of Bloomfield, Farmington, and Aztec. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reeve L. Swainston and Shana B. Long are prosecuting the federal case, while Assistant District Attorney David Cowen of the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is handling the state charges. The HIDTA Region II Task Force, a key player in the operation, is comprised of officers from those same local agencies, and is funded by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program.