Ernesto Marquez Muniz, 31, of Las Cruces, N.M., stood before a federal judge today and admitted to peddling methamphetamine and a loaded handgun to undercover agents — a transaction that sealed his fate behind bars.
Muniz pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The plea, entered in Albuquerque federal court, stems from a May 24, 2016, sting in the parking lot of a Las Cruces motel where Muniz sold approximately seven grams of meth and a firearm with ammunition to a federal agent posing as a buyer.
At the time of the sale, Muniz was legally barred from possessing firearms or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction for distributing cocaine in the Western District of Texas in 2010. That prior record now compounds the severity of his current crimes, exposing him to a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
The criminal complaint that led to his arrest on September 15, 2016, detailed the exchange as a coordinated undercover operation by the FBI. Agents documented the transaction, capturing evidence that left little room for dispute when Muniz faced the charges head-on in court.
No plea was entered on the firearms charge at today’s hearing, though it remains part of the broader investigation. Prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Davenport of the Las Cruces Branch Office, are moving forward with sentencing recommendations under the terms of a binding plea agreement.
A sentencing date has not yet been set. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Las Cruces office, underscoring the federal reach in local drug and gun trafficking operations. For now, Muniz remains in custody, awaiting the final chapter in a case built on greed, illegal drugs, and a loaded weapon sold in plain sight.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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