Hagerman Man Sentenced in Federal Firearms and Drug Trafficking Case Adopted from Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office

ALBUQUERQUE - A previously convicted felon was sentenced to 100 months in prison following multiple encounters with law enforcement which resulted in the recovery of multiple firearms and large quantities of narcotics.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, between June 2022 and January 2025, Jorge De La Cruz, 30, a previously convicted felon, was repeatedly found in possession of firearms and large quantities of narcotics during multiple encounters with law enforcement in Roswell and elsewhere in New Mexico. During these incidents, officers recovered several firearms, including stolen handguns, along with methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Specifically, on June 28, 2022, Roswell Police officers responded to a report of De La Cruz armed and using drugs. Officers recovered a loaded stolen .38 revolver, methamphetamine, and other narcotics from his vehicle.

During a February 7, 2023, traffic stop, Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force (CCMNTF) agents seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, and multiple firearms from De La Cruz.

On April 16, 2024, CCMNTF agents executed a search warrant at a residence where De La Cruz was present. Officers recovered a loaded handgun, fentanyl, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and additional firearms stored in a vehicle at the property.

In a traffic stop on October 2, 2024, Pecos Valley Drug Task Force agents recovered nearly 15 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and multiple firearms from a vehicle driven by De La Cruz.

At a highway checkpoint on January 7, 2025, Border Patrol agents located 94 grams of fentanyl, methamphetamine, a stolen firearm, drug paraphernalia, and ammunition in a backpack inside a vehicle with De La Cruz. Phone records later confirmed he had coordinated the distribution of these narcotics.

On October 21, 2025, De La Cruz pled guilty to five counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Upon his release from prison, he will be subject to five years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today.

HSI El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the Roswell Police Department U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk Williams and Renee Camacho prosecuted the case.