Daniel Pete Valdez, Sexual Abuse of a Minor, New Mexico 2023

ALBUQUERQUE – Daniel Pete Valdez, 44, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation from Mescalero, N.M., has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on a sexual abuse charge. The sentence was handed down in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M.

Valdez’s arrest stemmed from an incident that occurred on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County on June 20, 2014. He was charged with sexually assaulting a woman while she was unconscious and unable to consent. Valdez was indicted on January 20, 2016.

Court documents reveal that Valdez engaged in a sexual act with the victim when she was physically incapable of communicating her unwillingness or declining participation. He pled guilty on June 20, 2016, without benefit of a plea agreement.

The investigation into this case was conducted by the Mescalero Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan from the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.

Upon completing his prison sentence, Valdez will be required to register as a sex offender. This grim sentencing sends a stark message about the consequences for those who prey on vulnerable individuals on Native American reservations.

The community expresses relief and hope that this sentence serves as a deterrent to others considering similar acts of violence against women.

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