PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jose De Jesus Martinez, 25, of Avondale, was sentenced on July 13, by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. On May 5, 2025...

ALBUQUERQUE – Ten individuals have been charged in a federal indictment alleging they participated in a Grant County drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout southwest New Mexico between 2023 and 2026. According to court documents, Margarita Encarnacion Dominguez, 43, is alleged to have led...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Edgar Giovany Baca-Anaya, 27, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 120 months in prison, followed by 96 months of supervised release. Baca-Anaya previously pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl and admitted that the distribution resulted in the...

Albuquerque, New Mexico – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Field Division and United Against Fentanyl (UAF) Rio Rancho Chapter will host a local Walk for Lives 2026 event at Haynes Community Center and Park on July 11, 2026 from 4-6 p.m. in support of DEA’s Fentanyl Free America...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – An illegal alien who shot at Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents attempting to arrest him during a fentanyl sale on Feb. 24, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted murder. Eduardo Valenzuela Lopez, 33, of Cajeme, Sonora, Mexico, has been charged with Attempted...

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 220 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of narcotics in Albuquerque. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, beginning in August 2024, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration...

PHOENIX, Ariz — DEA Special Agent in Charge Apolonio Ruiz Jr. joined Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and HIDTA Director Dawn Mertz to announce the results of a major multi-agency drug operation targeting criminal organizations operating in Arizona communities. “This extraordinary investigation saved countless lives,”...

ALBUQUERQUE – A previously deported Mexican national, together with his Hobbs based distributor and her associates, has been charged in federal court with running a methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking network that brought large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and armed drug dealers into the Hobbs community. According to court documents...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eduardo Valenzuela Lopez, 33, of Cajeme, Sonora, Mexico, and Jael Gonzalez Banuelos, 22, of Phoenix, Arizona, were arrested on the morning of Feb. 24, 2026, by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos were charged by criminal...

Note: View Blano-Joo Indictment View Seas-Centeno Indictment ALBUQUERQUE – Two Mexican nationals were removed to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges in New Mexico. Daniel Alfred Blanco-Joo, 39, made his initial appearance today in New Mexico after being removed from Mexico on a five-count indictment charging him...