ALBUQUERQUE – Juan Merino-Guerrero, 29, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 40 months in prison for his conviction on methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges. Merino-Guerrero is a Mexican national who was residing in Santa Fe, N.M., when he was arrested in this case. He will be deported after completing his prison sentence.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, and Chief Patrick Gallagher of the Santa Fe Police Department.
Merino-Guerrero was arrested on June 10, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with a methamphetamine trafficking offense. According to the criminal complaint, when the Santa Fe Police Department (SFPD) executed a search warrant on Merino-Guerrero’s vehicle on April 30, 2015, they found 226.5 grams of methamphetamine. Merino-Guerrero subsequently was indicted on June 24, 2015, and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being an alien unlawfully in possession of a firearm.
On Sept. 30, 2015, Merino-Guerrero pled guilty to the indictment and admitted possessing methamphetamine on April 30, 2015, which he intended to distribute to others. Merino-Guerrero also admitted possessing a firearm even though he was in the United States in a non-immigrant status and was not permitted to possess firearms.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Santa Fe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec prosecuted the case.