LAS CRUCES WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL METH TRAFFICKING CHARGE AFTER HIGHWAY STOP NETS 40+ GRAMS

A Las Cruces woman has entered a guilty plea in federal court following a highway interdiction that resulted in the seizure of more than 40 grams of methamphetamine and drug distribution materials during a coordinated narcotics investigation in southern New Mexico.

Ivory Hernandez, 43, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after investigators linked her to trafficking activity involving controlled substances, stolen vehicles, and firearms. The case emerged from a joint investigation conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Las Cruces/Dona Ana Metro Narcotics unit.

On May 7, 2025, investigators attempted a traffic stop on Hernandez’s vehicle along the corridor between Anthony and Las Cruces, a known transit route for narcotics movement in the border region. Hernandez slowed and pulled off the roadway but did not immediately comply with full stop commands before ultimately yielding to law enforcement.

A trained narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs within the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed approximately 40.5 net grams of pure methamphetamine along with a soft case containing packaging materials and digital weighing equipment consistent with mid-level distribution rather than personal use.

Federal charging documents state that Hernandez admitted she was transporting the methamphetamine within the United States and intended to transfer the narcotics to another individual. The quantity and purity level are consistent with distribution-scale activity, as federal sentencing guidelines distinguish between user-level possession and trafficking thresholds.

Methamphetamine purity levels remain a critical enforcement concern across the Southwest. High-purity product circulating through New Mexico and West Texas corridors is frequently tied to transnational supply chains moving northbound from cartel-controlled production zones. Interstate highways and rural connectors between border-adjacent communities and inland cities continue to serve as primary transport arteries.

Hernandez faces a statutory penalty of not less than five years and up to life imprisonment at sentencing. Federal drug statutes impose enhanced penalties based on quantity, prior convictions, and relevant conduct, including weapons involvement where applicable.

The investigation formed part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) enforcement framework, a multi-agency operational structure focused on dismantling criminal cartels, transnational gangs, narcotics networks, human trafficking operations, and cross-border criminal enterprises. Region II CORE 7 integrates federal, state, and local agencies operating across New Mexico, West Texas, and surrounding jurisdictions.

Participating components include Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service criminal investigators, U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Marshals Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Joint Task Force North, state law enforcement agencies, and regional High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area units.

Southern New Mexico remains a strategic enforcement zone due to its proximity to international smuggling routes and its role as a redistribution point for narcotics moving toward interior markets. Task force operations in the region frequently combine intelligence-driven targeting with highway interdiction, financial tracking, and coordinated prosecution.

The guilty plea concludes the trial phase of the case and moves the matter to sentencing, where federal statutory penalties and advisory guideline calculations will determine final imprisonment exposure.

The case reinforces the sustained federal emphasis on disrupting methamphetamine trafficking corridors in the Southwest and intercepting distribution networks before narcotics penetrate broader community markets.

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United States District Court for the District of New Mexico — United States v. Ivory Hernandez, Criminal No. 2:26-cr-00490-SMD, Plea Agreement filed February 10, 2026

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