⏱ 2 min read
Gerald Anthony Lopez, a 20-year-old from Deming, New Mexico, has been sentenced to 101 months in prison for his role in machinegun trafficking and fleeing a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint. On February 11, 2025, Lopez sold cocaine to an undercover law enforcement officer and displayed a Glock handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device. He offered to sell the firearm for $1,300 with the switch installed or $1,000 without it, and stated he could supply additional firearms, conversion devices, and narcotics.
Lopez pleaded guilty to high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, illegal possession of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm. He led agents on a high-speed pursuit, reaching speeds of approximately 140 mph on Interstate 10, after fleeing from a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Luna County on May 6, 2025.
The investigation revealed that Lopez had personally modified the firearm with the machinegun conversion device and understood that it converted the firearm into a machinegun. He admitted to knowingly possessing and carrying the machinegun in furtherance of his cocaine trafficking.
Lopez’s sentence reflects the severity of his crimes, which included not only machinegun trafficking but also cocaine trafficking and fleeing from law enforcement. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat firearm and drug trafficking in New Mexico.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Weapons
- Defendant: New Mexico
- Location: NM
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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