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Methamphetamine Bust Yields Three Arrests
ALBUQUERQUE – In a shocking display of lawlessness, three men were arrested yesterday in connection with a massive methamphetamine trafficking operation. Arturo Reynaga, 29, of Los Lunas, N.M., Joaquin Alire, 29, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Jose Lopez-Hernandez, 31, a Mexican national residing in Belen, N.M., face serious charges in the wake of the bust.
According to court documents, Reynaga, Alire and Lopez-Hernandez were arrested by the FBI after they attempted to sell approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. The operation, which was months in the making, culminated in the arrest of the three men and the seizure of the illicit substance.
FBI agents arrested Reynaga in the vicinity of the Hard Rock Casino, located on Isleta Pueblo, N.M., and seized the methamphetamine from the vehicle in which he had traveled to the Casino. Alire and Lopez-Hernandez were arrested after additional investigation revealed that they allegedly supplied the methamphetamine that Reynaga was planning to sell to the undercover officer.
Alire was arrested in the vicinity of the Hard Rock Casino, while Lopez-Hernandez was taken into custody in Albuquerque. The three men are currently being held in federal custody pending detention hearings scheduled for June 10, 2013.
If convicted on the charges in the complaint, each of the three defendants faces a mandatory minimum of ten years to a maximum of life in prison. Lopez-Hernandez, who is a Mexican national, will be deported after serving his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque Division of the FBI with assistance from the Las Cruces-Doña Ana Metro Narcotics Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado.
The charges in the complaint are only accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The outcome of the case will be closely watched by law enforcement officials and the public alike.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Crime & Law Enforcement
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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