Londie Tarango, a 23-year-old from Artesia, N.M., is going away for five years after being sentenced in federal court for trafficking methamphetamine. The grim reality of the drug trade caught up with Tarango this morning in Las Cruces, where he was handed a 60-month prison term for pushing poison in Eddy County. He’ll serve three years under supervised release when he gets out — assuming he stays clean.
The arrest date was October 6, 2015, but the crime dates back to August 1, 2014 — the day Tarango allegedly distributed meth in Eddy County. He wasn’t caught in a border sweep or a random traffic stop. This was targeted: law enforcement had his name, his moves, and his dirty money. The indictment didn’t just charge him with distribution — it came with forfeiture papers demanding $2,400 in drug proceeds be handed over to the U.S. government. Blood money, seized.
Tarango didn’t cut a deal. On May 5, 2016, he pleaded guilty with no plea agreement — meaning he had no promises, no leniency, and no safety net. He walked into court and admitted it: he sold meth. No alibi, no excuses. That kind of move often signals desperation — or pressure from prosecutors who had more than enough to bury him if the case went to trial.
The investigation was a coordinated punch from the DEA’s Las Cruces office and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force — a multi-jurisdictional unit built to hammer drug networks in southern New Mexico. Officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police, and Artesia Police all fed intelligence into the operation. This wasn’t a solo hustle stopped by happenstance — it was a tactical takedown.
The task force operates under HIDTA Region VI, part of a national anti-drug program created by Congress in 1988. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program funnels resources to zones overrun by narcotics. With backing from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, HIDTA enables federal, state, and local agencies to share intel and dismantle trafficking pipelines. In Tarango’s case, it meant no blind spots.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock Taylor, out of the Las Cruces Branch Office, prosecuted the case. No frills, no delays — just federal muscle enforcing the law. For Tarango, the sentence marks the end of freedom, at least for the next five years. For the streets of Artesia, it’s one dealer off the grid — but the war’s far from over.
Related Federal Cases
- Hobbs Woman Karen Diaz Gets 10 Years for Meth Trafficking · New Mexico
- Lovington Man Gets 7.5 Years for Meth Trafficking, Gun Charge · New Mexico
- Carlsbad Felon Eddie Leo Wyatt Gets 10 Years for Meth Trafficking · New Mexico
- Massiel Segoviano-Fierro Gets 50 Months for Meth Trafficking · New Mexico
- Luis Rangel Arce Gets 87 Months for Meth Trafficking on Navajo Land · New Mexico
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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