In a significant development concerning drug enforcement, a federal judge has issued a stern 14-year prison sentence to an Albuquerque resident following the seizure of over 19 pounds of fentanyl from a local hotel room.
Court documents made available to the public recount the events leading up to this ruling. On the 26th of October, 2022, officers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs intercepted a substantial quantity of fentanyl en route to Albuquerque during a routine traffic stop. Subsequently, the driver, under the authorities’ surveillance, agreed to facilitate a “controlled delivery” to an individual awaiting the illicit cargo in a Walmart parking lot within Albuquerque’s vicinity.
Law enforcement meticulously orchestrated their operation, strategically positioning themselves in the area. Their surveillance efforts bore fruit when a vehicle, piloted by Eric Jaramillo, 33, pulled into the designated rendezvous point as scheduled. However, before authorities could enact their plan, Jaramillo evaded their grasp by speeding away. A high-speed pursuit ensued, culminating in Jaramillo abandoning his vehicle and seeking refuge within a water diversion tunnel.
Undeterred by his escape, agents from Homeland Security Investigations, aware of Jaramillo’s outstanding warrant from Arizona, launched a relentless search across the city. Their persistence eventually paid off when, several weeks later on November 14, 2022, they located Jaramillo at a Best Western Hotel in Albuquerque.
The subsequent day, a coordinated operation unfolded as law enforcement personnel surrounded the premises. Jaramillo, upon exiting his room, attempted to flee yet met his downfall when he suffered a severe leg injury after impaling himself on a wrought iron fence. A subsequent search of his accommodations yielded a staggering discovery: 8.7 kilograms, equivalent to 19.2 pounds, of fentanyl alongside two firearms.
Facing the full weight of the law, Jaramillo pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl in federal court. It is pertinent to note that the federal system does not provide for parole.
The announcement of Jaramillo’s sentence was made today by U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Eric McLoughlin, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations – El Paso.
This complex investigation saw collaboration among Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Spindle spearheaded the prosecution of this case.