ALBUQUERQUE, NM – A massive heroin shipment and the woman accused of transporting it landed Leslye Beltran-Paez, 34, in federal court this morning. The previously deported Mexican national faces a potential life sentence if convicted on charges of heroin trafficking and illegal reentry into the United States.
The bust went down December 1, 2016, in Cibola County, New Mexico. Law enforcement agents seized approximately 13 kilograms (28.66 pounds) of heroin hidden inside a kitchen stove within a moving truck. According to the complaint, the heroin was neatly packaged into ten wrapped bundles. Beltran-Paez was taken into custody at the scene.
This isn’t Beltran-Paez’s first run-in with U.S. immigration authorities. Court records show she was deported from the United States on June 10, 2001, and has allegedly not received permission to legally reenter the country. Her attempt to bypass those laws now carries serious consequences.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. Launched in January 2015, HOPE is a multi-agency effort to combat the opioid epidemic ravaging New Mexico, a state hit particularly hard by the crisis. The initiative aims to address prevention, treatment, law enforcement, reentry, and strategic planning.
Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police spearheaded the investigation. If convicted of the heroin trafficking charge, Beltran-Paez faces a statutory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. The illegal reentry charge carries a maximum penalty of two years. Beltran-Paez is currently in federal custody awaiting preliminary and detention hearings, scheduled for December 5, 2016.
The HOPE Initiative acknowledges the devastating impact of opioid addiction on public safety, health, and the economic stability of New Mexico communities. For those seeking more information about the initiative, visit http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org. Remember, charges in criminal complaints are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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