ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Five men have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that transported fentanyl and methamphetamine from Arizona to New Mexico and laundered drug proceeds to Mexico, federal prosecutors announced.
Read the official U.S. Attorney's Office release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/five-defendants-sentenced-roles-arizona-new-mexico-fentanyl-and-methamphetamine
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Robert "Eric" Castañeda, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA El Paso Division, made the announcement on November 12, 2026.
Irving Alvarez-Rosales, 48, and Julio Alberto Zamora-Ramirez, 33, coordinated the organization's fentanyl trafficking operations from Phoenix, according to court documents.
Roberto Zavala-Roman, 32, Efren Torres-Ruiz, 34, and Rodrigo Rojas, 49, also participated in the conspiracy, officials reported.
Phoenix Supply Lines, Culiacán Pills, and Money Laundering to Mexico
According to court documents, the conspiracy ran from no later than July 2022 through June 2023, between Phoenix, Arizona, and Valencia County, New Mexico.
The organization obtained bulk quantities of narcotics from sources in Arizona, including fentanyl pills imported from Culiacán, Mexico, and transported them to New Mexico for redistribution, officials reported.
Alvarez-Rosales and Zamora-Ramirez received shipments of hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and sold them to customers in New Mexico, according to court documents.
Both men also took part in a money laundering scheme that transferred drug proceeds from Arizona to recipients in Mexico through money service businesses, using false identification information to conceal the source and ownership of the funds, officials reported.
Intercepted Loads, Highway Stops, and Kilogram Seizures
Law enforcement intercepted multiple loads linked to the conspiracy, including approximately 100,000 fentanyl pills in November 2022 and approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills in May 2023, according to court documents.
On November 17, 2022, Rojas was traveling in a semi-truck stopped in Bernalillo County that contained approximately 12.6 kilograms of fentanyl pills and 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, officials reported.
On May 28, 2023, Rojas was driving a truck towing a vehicle that concealed approximately 6 kilograms of fentanyl pills and 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, according to court documents.
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Zavala-Roman facilitated fentanyl distribution by arranging the sale and mailing of approximately 500 fentanyl pills to a buyer in May 2023, and advised the recipient on redistribution, officials reported.
Torres-Ruiz traveled with co-conspirators to Arizona to obtain methamphetamine and other narcotics for resale in New Mexico, and profited from sales in Valencia County, according to court documents.
Guilty Pleas, Prison Terms, and Supervised Release
Alvarez-Rosales: Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to launder money; sentenced to 138 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Zamora-Ramirez: Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to launder money; sentenced to 108 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
Rojas: Pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine; sentenced to 70 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
Torres-Ruiz: Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Zavala-Roman: Pleaded guilty to conspiracy; sentenced to 34 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system, officials noted.
The DEA El Paso Division investigated the case with assistance from the DEA Phoenix Division, the DEA Yuma Division, the DEA King City Division, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Police Department and the New Mexico State Police, according to the release. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the cases.
Anyone with information about drug trafficking is asked to contact the Drug Enforcement Administration through its official channels.
Sources
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico, Official Press Release, November 12, 2026: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/five-defendants-sentenced-roles-arizona-new-mexico-fentanyl-and-methamphetamine
Transparency notes
Published: Nov 13, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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