News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2005

Carlsbad, NM Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison on Drug Charge

(San Antonio. TX) United States Attorney Johnny Sutton announced that 43-year-old Rafael Manuel Doporto of Carlsbad, NM, was sentenced this morning to 15 years in prison on federal drug and firearm charges. In addition, United States District Judge David Briones ordered that Doporto be placed under supervised release for a period of five years after completing his prison term. On November 8, 2004, Doporto pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute and use or carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

On July 5, 2004, agents at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 62/180 in Desert Haven, Texas, conducted a lawful search of the defendant’s vehicle and discovered over 270 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm Highpoint semi-automatic pistol and ammunition in the trunk. Doporto admitted that he purchased the methamphetamine with the intent to re-sell it and carried the firearm to protect the methamphetamine. On January 25, 2005, Doporto’s passenger and co-defendant in this case, 45-year-old Nora Marie Galvez of Carlsbad, NM, was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment on the conspiracy charge.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Border and Customs Protection. Assistant United States Attorney Kristal Wade prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.