California Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Heroin Trafficking Conviction in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – Edwin Rodriguez, 34, of Bell Gardens, Calif., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 57 months in prison for his heroin trafficking conviction.  Rodriguez will be on supervised release for three years after he completes his prison sentence.

Rodriguez was arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with a heroin trafficking offense after the DEA seized 2.3 kilograms (5.07 pounds) of heroin from him during an interdiction investigation at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque on Feb. 4, 2015.  The heroin was concealed in a false compartment in Rodriguez’s baggage.  Rodriguez was indicted on Feb. 25, 2015, and charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

On Dec. 16, 2015, Rodriguez pled guilty to possession of heroin with intent to distribute and admitted that on Feb. 4, 2015, he possessed heroin, which he wrapped in bundles and concealed in his suitcase while traveling through Albuquerque on the Greyhound Bus.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaheen P. Torgoley.

This case was prosecuted pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.  The HOPE Initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center that is partnering with the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative with the overriding goal of reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in the District of New Mexico.  The HOPE Initiative comprised of five components:  (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning.  The law enforcement component of the HOPE Initiative is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners.  Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.