Three more Carlsbad drug, gun smugglers plead guilty to federal charges
Three people pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a gun and drug smuggling scheme that saw firearms being transported from Carlsbad to Mexico while fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine were transported for sale.
The guilty pleas were the latest in a federal case against a group of 17 defendants police said conspired to ship guns and drugs between Carlsbad and Mexico in 2023. The group was indicted Aug. 1, 2023 by the U.S. Attorney's Office after a joint operation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force and several local agencies.
Kinny Gonzalez, 29, pleaded guilty April 2 to smuggling goods from the U.S., conspiracy to smuggle goods from the U.S., attempt to smuggle a firearm and ammo out of the U.S., and a series of charges for trafficking meth, cocaine and fentanyl.
Gonzalez’s guilty plea follow those of two other men police said were involved in attempting to move the guns. Brian Kain Purdy, 42 and Sabino Alfonso Maldonado, 32, pleaded guilty in January to smuggling goods from the U.S., and conspiracy to smuggle goods from the U.S. They were awaiting sentencing.
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Police said Gonzalez agreed on March 8, 2023 to send multiple guns in a black jeep to a recipient in New Mexico identified as “Pariente,” according to a federal indictment filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.
Gonzalez arranged for Purdy and Maldonado to pick up the jeep in Carlsbad, read the indictment, and had it loaded with firearms. They gave the jeep to another man Jesus Alonso Cerezo-Espidio who attempted to drive it back to Mexico to sell the guns, police said.
The jeep was stopped by police enroute to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, records show, and the guns were seized. Cerezo-Espidio, a national from Mexico, received identical charges to Gonzalez and was scheduled for a trial on May 6.
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Seized in the arrests were a Pioneer Arms Sport rifle, a Romarm WASR-10 rife, a Ruger AR-556 rifle, a .22 caliber rifle, a Colt M4 carbine rifle and a Citizens Armory USAK rifle. Also seized were 489 rounds of ammunition.
At sentencing before a federal judge, Gonzalez faced 10 years to life in prison for the gun charges along with conspiracy to distribute 40 gram or more of meth, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and more than 500 grams of cocaine.
Gonzalez was joined in pleading guilty by Carlos Venegas Jr., 24, of Carlsbad who pleaded guilty on March 4 to one count each of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 500 grams or more of cocaine, attempt to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
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Venegas also pleaded guilty to attempt to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of meth.
Another Carlsbad resident Amber Owens, 51, who police believed was also involved in the criminal enterprise pleaded guilty on March 12 to one count each of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of meth and distribution of 50 grams and more of meth.
Venegas and Owens also faced sentences between 10 years and life in federal prison. All three defendants were being held in custody ahead of sentencing.
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Police said Gonzalez provided cocaine to another co-defendant Jared Michael Moore on March 5, 2023, three days before the firearms smuggling operation began. Moore previously pleaded guilty to federal drug charges.
Then, on April 2, 2023 Venegas and another co-defendant Kassandra Perales went from Carlsbad to El Paso to pick up cocaine and meth shipped over the border in an ice chest. Police intercepted the drugs ahead of the suspects’ arrival, police said, and recorded multiple conversations between Gonzalez, Perales and Venegas about the missing drugs they intended to deliver back to Carlsbad.
A week later on April 10, police said Owens provided meth and fentanyl to Venegas and Perales which they intended to take to North Dakota to sell but were stopped by police in Chavez County on their way north.
Perales also pleaded guilty to drug charges, records show.
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Three Carlsbad drug and gun smugglers plead guilty to federal charges
