Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Narcotics and Firearms Laws

ALBUQUERQUE – Eric Steven Ontiveros, 33, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to violating the federal narcotics and firearms laws. Ontiveros entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.

Ontiveros was arrested on April 6, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing distribution quantities of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm on Oct. 5, 2015, in Doña Ana County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement officers discovered approximately 112.19 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia in Ontiveros’ vehicle during a routine traffic stop.

Ontiveros was indicted on the same charges on July 20, 2016. According to the indictment, Ontiveros was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. During today’s proceedings, Ontiveros pled guilty to the indictment.

At sentencing, Ontiveros faces a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison on the methamphetamine charge and a maximum statutory penalty of ten years on the firearms charge. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

The HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers from the Las Cruces Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, HSI and the New Mexico State Police. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.