Lovington Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Jose Antonio Rodriguez, 42, of Lovington, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 84 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.

Rodriguez was arrested in Sept. 2015, and charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  According to the complaint, Rodriguez was arrested on Sept. 3, 2015, in Doña Ana County, N.M., after U.S. Border Patrol agents at the Border Patrol Checkpoint on Interstate 10 in Las Cruces found 44.6 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle during a routine inspection.

On Dec. 18, 2015, Rodriguez pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and admitted possessing 44.6 grams of methamphetamine.  Rodriguez acknowledged that he intended to sell the methamphetamine to others.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Las Cruces office of the DEA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Selesia L. Winston prosecuted the case.