ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Gabriel Villasenor, 29, is headed to federal prison for nearly a decade after a botched drug deal with an undercover ATF operation. Villasenor was sentenced to 115 months – nine years and seven months – after pleading guilty last September to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of both a firearm and ammunition. The case highlights the persistent flow of illegal drugs and weapons through New Mexico, and the risks faced by law enforcement.
According to court documents, the scheme unfolded in May 2021. Villasenor drove his co-defendant, Gabriel Blea, to a meeting Blea had arranged as part of a drug transaction. Blea intended to trade approximately half a pound of methamphetamine for five firearms. What Blea and Villasenor didn’t know was that they were dealing with undercover agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Blea arrived carrying the meth in a backpack and a loaded .45 caliber pistol tucked into his waistband.
The deal went south quickly. Agents moved in to arrest Blea at the scene. Villasenor, however, attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended. This brazen attempt to evade capture only compounded his legal troubles. The incident underscores the dangerous lengths individuals will go to in order to profit from the illegal drug trade, and the immediate threat posed by illegally carried firearms.
This wasn’t Villasenor’s first run-in with the law. His rap sheet is extensive, including prior convictions for unlawful possession of a handgun, resisting an officer, stolen vehicle possession, methamphetamine possession, attempted felony (felon in possession of a firearm), trafficking, and possession of a controlled substance. He was, in fact, on state probation at the time of this latest offense. The sentencing judge clearly considered Villasenor’s lengthy criminal history when handing down the nine-year term.
Blea, Villasenor’s accomplice, also pled guilty to related charges – conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He received a 15-year prison sentence in December 2022, followed by five years of supervised release. The pair’s combined sentences send a message that drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession will not be tolerated.
Following his release from prison, Villasenor will be subject to four years of supervised release. The investigation was a joint effort between the ATF’s Phoenix Field Division and the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal prosecuted the case. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the ongoing efforts to combat drug and gun violence in New Mexico.
Related Federal Cases
- Brandon Smith Sentenced to 5 Years for Meth Dealing, Farmington NM, [] · Colorado
- David William Welbig, Aggravated Identity Theft, Albuquerque NM, 2014 · Colorado
- Michael Stewart Faces Life for Meth Possession with Intent to Distr… · New Mexico
- Vernon Niiha, Child Sex Abuse of a Minor, Albuquerque NM, 2002 · New Mexico
- Clemente Eduardo Vasquez-De La Cruz, Violation of Federal Firearms … · New Mexico
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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