An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to over 20 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Jaime Valdez, 36, was found guilty of possessing nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun. The sentence follows a trial where evidence was presented regarding his activities.
The incident began on February 20, 2021, when Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call about a suspicious person in Albuquerque's South Valley. Deputies identified Valdez based on the description provided and noted his nervous behavior. When approached, Valdez reached into his pockets and a duffle bag, leading deputies to secure him.
A search revealed that Valdez had a loaded pistol in his pocket along with approximately $2,560 in cash. The duffle bag contained two packages with 859.8 grams of pure methamphetamine, drug packaging materials, and a scale.
Valdez had three outstanding felony warrants at the time of arrest and previous felony convictions including False Imprisonment and Child Abuse, which prohibited him from possessing firearms.
Upon completion of his prison term, Valdez will face five years of supervised release.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nora Wilson and Joseph Spindle.