Related Federal Cases
- Casey Lamotte, Methamphetamine Trafficking, NM, 2023 · New Mexico
- Matthew Peña Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking,… · New Mexico
- US Justice Department, Drug and Arms Trafficking, Washington D.C., … · Tennessee
- Letitia James, 17 Individuals Face Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Cocai… · New York
- Dupree Crew Dismantled, Fentanyl Cocaine Methamphetamine Traffickin… · New York
Miguel Angel Arias Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking
ALBUQUERQUE – In a shocking turn of events, Miguel Angel Arias, a 26-year-old Oxnard, Calif., resident, pleaded guilty to violating federal firearms and drug trafficking laws in New Mexico.
Arias and his co-defendant, Marco Antonio Valero, 54, also of Oxnard, Calif., were arrested in January 2017 after a traffic stop in Lordsburg, N.M. During the stop, law enforcement officers found eight bundles of methamphetamine weighing approximately 4.2 kilograms (9.26 pounds) and a firearm and ammunition in the defendants’ vehicle.
The indictment charged Arias with participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy between January 21 and 27, 2017. The indictment also charged Arias with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
During today’s proceedings, Arias pleaded guilty to conspiracy, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In entering the guilty plea, Arias admitted that on January 26, 2017, law enforcement officers found methamphetamine concealed in his vehicle when he was stopped for speeding and following too closely in Lordsburg.
Arias further admitted possessing a handgun, which was located under the driver seat of his vehicle, despite the fact that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his previous felony conviction.
Earlier this month, on June 7, 2017, Valero pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and admitted possessing the methamphetamine that was concealed in the vehicle in which he was a passenger on January 26, 2017.
Arias faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, while Valero faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Both men remain in custody pending sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lordsburg Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
