Two Colorado women charged in multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy

Date: March 12, 2026

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Albuquerque - Two Colorado women and an associate are charged in a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy that allegedly funneled methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico through New Mexico into other locations in the United States.

According to court records, between Nov. 2023 and July 2025, Ebajelina Silva of Arvada, Colorado, and Tania Maldonado of Denver, Colorado, allegedly participated in a drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracy that moved methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico through New Mexico to other locations in the United States. Court records allege Silva coordinated narcotics pickups and deliveries with Reymondo Mandonado of Thornton, Colorado, while Maldonado allegedly helped transmit drug proceeds to individuals in Mexico through money service businesses using structured wire transfers. The investigation tied the conspiracy to repeated border crossings, communications and location data, financial records, and a July 7, 2025, traffic stop in Otero County, New Mexico, during which law enforcement seized 146.7 net kilograms of pure methamphetamine and 4.875 net kilograms of cocaine from a concealed compartment in an enclosed trailer driven by Mandonado.

Silva and Maldonado are each charged with one count of conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money. They will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, they both face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

Mandonado pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Mandonado faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Camacho is prosecuting the cases.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 18 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.