More than six years after a high-stakes traffic stop at a remote New Mexico checkpoint, Candy May Gonzales, 33, of Canutillo, Texas, admitted her role in a brazen attempt to smuggle 4.06 kilograms (8.95 pounds) of cocaine across state lines. Gonzales pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces to federal cocaine trafficking charges, capping a case rooted in deception, interstate smuggling, and a hidden stash that nearly slipped through the cracks.
The bust went down on Oct. 8, 2017, at the U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint on I-25 north of Las Cruces. Agents searching a vehicle driven by co-defendant Carlos Ivan Todd, 30, also of Canutillo, Texas, discovered three tightly wrapped bundles of cocaine concealed in a secret compartment. Both Gonzales and Todd were arrested on the spot. The seizure triggered a federal investigation led by the DEA and the U.S. Border Patrol, unraveling a short but intense trafficking run from El Paso to Albuquerque.
Gonzales was later indicted on two counts: participating in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy from August 2017 through Oct. 8, 2017, and possessing cocaine with intent to distribute on the day of the arrest. The indictment specifies the crimes occurred in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. She entered her guilty plea without a plea agreement, meaning she receives no sentencing concessions from prosecutors. That decision could cost her dearly.
At sentencing, Gonzales faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in federal prison. She remains locked up pending a hearing date, which has not yet been set. The maximum sentence reflects the severity of federal drug laws when quantities exceed certain thresholds—4.06 kilograms of cocaine puts this case well into the high-penalty zone.
Her co-defendant, Carlos Ivan Todd, entered his own guilty plea on Jan. 4, 2018, to a felony information charging conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute. Todd admitted under oath that he drove the vehicle into the checkpoint, knowing it carried the drugs, and that he had agreed to transport the cocaine from El Paso to Albuquerque for distribution. Like Gonzales, Todd now faces five to 40 years behind bars and remains in federal custody.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Las Cruces office and the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Balla is handling the prosecution. With both defendants admitting guilt, the case heads toward closure—but not before the full weight of the federal system comes down on those who test its borders with multi-kilo drug loads.
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Related Federal Cases
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- Kyle Marshall Hogue Held in 11-Pound Cocaine Bust · New Mexico
- Cocaine Trafficking Rings Busted in New Mexico · New Mexico
- Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Cocaine Trafficking · New Mexico
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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