Five Sentenced In New Mexico Drug Ring
Federal court in Albuquerque handed down prison terms to five defendants who moved fentanyl and methamphetamine from Arizona between 2022 and 2023.
By Alina Marshall ·
A federal judge in Albuquerque sentenced five individuals on Thursday for their roles in a drug trafficking network that moved fentanyl and methamphetamine from Arizona into New Mexico. The group operated from Phoenix to Valencia County from July 2022 through June 2023.
Court documents state the defendants acquired drugs in bulk, including fentanyl pills imported from Culiacan, Mexico. They redistributed the supply across New Mexico. Investigators also identified a money laundering scheme that used false identification to move proceeds from Arizona to Mexico through money service businesses.
Irving Alvarez Rosales, 48, and Julio Alberto Zamora Ramirez, 33, coordinated the large-scale trafficking. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to launder money. Rosales received 138 months in prison plus five years of supervised release. Ramirez received 108 months in prison plus four years of supervised release.
Three other defendants received shorter terms. Roberto Zavala Roman, 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and received 34 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Authorities said he arranged the sale and mailing of approximately 500 fentanyl pills in May 2023. Efren Torres Ruiz, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He received 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Rodigo Rojas, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute both fentanyl and methamphetamine. He received 70 months in prison and four years of supervised release.
Law enforcement intercepted roughly 100,000 fentanyl pills in November 2022 and another 50,000 in May 2023. Court records detail two specific seizures involving Rojas. In November 2022, officers stopped a semi-truck in Bernalillo County carrying 12.6 kilograms of fentanyl pills and 10 kilograms of methamphetamine. In May 2023, agents found 6 kilograms of fentanyl pills and 18 kilograms of methamphetamine in a truck towing a vehicle.
The DEA El Paso Division led the investigation with support from DEA Phoenix, DEA Yuma, DEA King City, and the IRS Criminal Investigation unit. The Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Police Department and New Mexico State Police also assisted. Federal prosecutors in New Mexico handled the case. Defendants in the federal system are not eligible for parole.
