EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A man and a woman are facing drug conspiracy charges for allegedly delivering 29 kilograms of methamphetamine to undercover federal agents in Sunland Park, New Mexico.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested Veronica Herrera and Jesus Manuel Chavez Marquez on Feb. 20 in the parking lot of an auto parts store on McNutt Road following the third in a series of alleged drug transactions involving “100% pure” meth from Mexico.
The previous two drug buys took place in the parking lot of a casino and back at the same auto parts store, according to a complaint affidavit filed on Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.
Agents first met the Herrera on Jan. 23, when she allegedly delivered 2 kilos of meth to an undercover agent who had ordered it from an individual in Mexico only identified as “Primo.” Court records allege Herrera arrived at the auto parts store in a blue Dodge Ram, exited and handed over a black bag to the “buyer” waiting in a vehicle in exchange for $4,600.
The DEA sent the contents to a lab, which certified the methamphetamine weighed 2.2 kilograms “with a purity of 100%,” records show.
The second drug buy took place Feb. 4 in the parking lot of the casino as Herrera again arrived in the blue Dodge Ram and allegedly handed a red bag with 2 more kilos of cocaine to the undercover agent in exchange for $3,400.
A final drug transaction involved the delivery of 25 kilograms of Mexican meth on Feb. 20 at the auto parts store on McNutt Road. Records show a male later identified as Chavez arrived in a silver Honda Civic, parked next to the undercover agent and told him “Primo” sent him to pick up the undisclosed amount of money from the latest transaction.
The agent told him to wait until the product arrived; a while later Herrera drove the blue Dodge Ram onto the parking lot with an underage girl in the back seat. Court documents allege Herrera told the agent the drugs were in the back seat and the girl handed him a bag with the meth.
The agent asked how much methamphetamine was in the bag and Herrera responded, “Twenty-five,” according to the affidavit. As the agent pretended to inspect the product, federal agents moved in, arrested the two adults and seized the meth.
Records show both suspects waived their rights and Herrera allegedly told them she had more meth in her apartment in Socorro, Texas, which they subsequently seized. Chavez allegedly told agents he was hired by unnamed parties to pick up the cash to be paid for the 25 kilos of meth.
The suspects are scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing Thursday in a federal courtroom in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They each face a charge of conspiracy and a charge of distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Read: Read More