Juan Francisco Cruz-Neri, Heroin Possession with Intent to Distribute, New Mexico 2016

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – HERION BUST LEADS TO MEXICAN NATIONAL’S ARREST

A major heroin bust in Albuquerque has led to the arrest of a 23-year-old Mexican national, Juan Francisco Cruz-Neri, who remains in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing scheduled for April 19, 2016.

Cruz-Neri was arrested at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque on April 15, 2016, after the DEA allegedly found 1.70 kilograms (3.80 pounds) of heroin concealed in his backpack. If convicted of the charge in the criminal complaint, Cruz-Neri faces a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo Armijo is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, and other community stakeholders to combat the opioid epidemic in New Mexico.

The HOPE Initiative has five components, including prevention and education, treatment, law enforcement, reentry, and strategic planning. The law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA, and targets members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution.

The New Mexico HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on the state. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health, and the economic viability of communities in New Mexico.

Charges in the criminal complaint against Cruz-Neri are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Juan Francisco Cruz-Neri, Crime: Possessing almost four pounds of heroin with intent to distribute, City and State: Albuquerque, New Mexico, Date: April 15, 2016, Sentence/Outcome: Remains in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing scheduled for April 19, 2016.

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