Sunland Park Man Pleads Guilty in Cocaine Ring

Joel Ibarra, Jr., 21, of Sunland Park, N.M., admitted his role today in a violent, cross-border cocaine trafficking ring that flooded Doña Ana County with narcotics. At a hearing in Las Cruces federal court, Ibarra pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and money laundering, confessing to moving hundreds of grams of the drug and smuggling $3,582 in illicit cash into Mexico through the El Paso Port of Entry.

The charges stem from an 18-count indictment unsealed in September 2016, the product of a six-month OCDETF-led investigation targeting a tight-knit drug crew allegedly led by Mexican national Joel Ibarra-Torres, 46. Federal prosecutors say the network operated from March 31, 2016, until its collapse on Sept. 20, 2016, smuggling cocaine in ¼-kilogram bundles from Mexico and distributing them across southern New Mexico.

Ibarra admitted in court that he conspired to distribute between 500 grams and 2 kilograms of cocaine during the operation’s final months. He also acknowledged transporting drug proceeds across the border on Aug. 3, 2016, linking him directly to an international money laundering scheme that prosecutors say kept the cartel’s supply chain funded and flowing.

Another key player, Gabriela Castro, 24, a legal permanent resident of El Paso, pled guilty on Dec. 19, 2016, to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. She admitted attempting to smuggle approximately 250 grams of the drug into the U.S. from Mexico on Aug. 26, 2016, accepting payment for the risky delivery. Castro now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Five other defendants have pleaded not guilty and await trial. Joel Ibarra-Torres, the alleged ringleader, remains at large and is considered a fugitive by federal authorities. The indictment also includes forfeiture demands for $31,620 in drug proceeds to be seized by the U.S. government.

The case was built by the DEA’s Las Cruces office, U.S. Border Patrol, and FBI agents working under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program. Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terri J. Abernathy and Sarah M. Davenport. Sentencing for Ibarra has not yet been scheduled but will carry a mandatory 27-month prison term followed by court-determined supervised release.