Grimy Times has learned that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a massive haul of methamphetamine at New Mexico ports of entry, marking a significant blow to the state’s notorious drug trafficking networks.
According to sources, the officers arrested two Mexican nationals, Conception Rosas-Villafuerte, 30, and Jose Alfonso Zuniga-Barraza, 38, after discovering a staggering total of 335 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in their vehicles.
Rosas-Villafuerte, who was arrested on June 6, 2018, allegedly had 73.16 kilograms (161 pounds) of methamphetamine hidden in the tires of his vehicle. The officers made the discovery during an inspection at the U.S. Port of Entry in Santa Teresa in Dona Ana County, N.M.
Zuniga-Barraza, who was arrested on June 8, 2018, had a whopping 79.4 kilograms (174.5 pounds) of methamphetamine concealed in his vehicle. The officers found approximately 150 bundles of methamphetamine hidden throughout Zuniga-Barraza’s vehicle while conducting an inspection at the U.S. Port of Entry in Antelope Wells in Hidalgo County, N.M.
Both men made their initial appearances in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M. Rosas-Villafuerte appeared on June 8, 2018, and Zuniga-Barraza on June 11, 2018. They remain in federal custody pending preliminary hearings and detention hearings, scheduled for June 13, 2018, and June 14, 2018, respectively.
If convicted, each man faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Las Cruces Branch Office.
Grimy Times will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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