A Mexican national, Rogelio Rodriguez-Salas, has been sentenced to 117 months in prison and fined a $600 special assessment for attempting to destroy an unmanned aerial system and committing federal drug trafficking offenses in New Mexico.
Court documents reveal that on July 3, 2023, Albuquerque Police Department officers tracked Rodriguez-Salas using a drone while he was in possession of a stolen vehicle. In an effort to evade surveillance, Rodriguez-Salas fired at the drone with a handgun. He was arrested following this incident but later released into the community.
On July 21, 2023, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department deputies encountered Rodriguez-Salas again. He was found with a revolver while engaged in drug trafficking activities and driving another stolen vehicle. At that time, he possessed more than four grams of fentanyl intended for distribution. His illegal status in the U.S. prohibited him from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Rodriguez-Salas pleaded guilty on July 15, 2024, to several charges: attempting to damage an aircraft; being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition; re-entering the United States as a removed alien; possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute; and possessing a firearm to further drug trafficking.
Upon his release from prison, Rodriguez-Salas will face three years of supervised release and deportation proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced this development today.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General alongside the Albuquerque Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.