Floyd Albert Sherrell, 34, of Artesia, N.M., is headed to federal prison for 57 months after being sentenced in Las Cruces for trafficking methamphetamine and illegally dealing firearms. The conviction marks another blow against underground drug and gun networks in southeastern New Mexico.
Sherrell was arrested on Sept. 1, 2015, following a federal indictment charging him with distributing methamphetamine and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. The crimes occurred in Eddy County on June 10 and June 12, 2014. At the time, Sherrell was barred from possessing guns due to prior convictions for larceny of a firearm and burglary.
On Jan. 26, 2016, Sherrell pleaded guilty to a felony information that detailed his dealings with an undercover agent. He admitted to selling four firearms on June 10, 2014, followed by the sale of 25 grams of pure methamphetamine just two days later. The transactions were part of a targeted investigation into narcotics and weapons flowing through the Pecos Valley region.
The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, a multi-agency unit made up of officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department, and Artesia Police Department. The task force operates under HIDTA Region VI, a federal initiative targeting high-intensity drug trafficking zones.
The HIDTA program, established by Congress in 1988, is administered by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. It funds and coordinates operations across federal, state, local, and tribal agencies to dismantle drug networks and cut off supply chains in critical trafficking areas like southeastern New Mexico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case. Sherrell will serve 57 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. His sentence underscores the federal crackdown on repeat offenders exploiting rural jurisdictions to traffic drugs and weapons.
Related Federal Cases
- Raton Woman Gets 66-Month Sentence for Heroin & Meth Trafficking · New Mexico
- Meth & Mayhem: Burlingame Admits Trafficking, Gun Charge · New Mexico
- Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Trafficking, Gun Sale · New Mexico
- Guillermo Ortega Gets 10 Years for Meth, Gun Crimes · New Mexico
- Juan Merino-Guerrero Gets 40 Months for Meth, Gun Charges · New Mexico
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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