FIVE FEDERALLY CHARGED IN METHAMPHETAMINE AND FENTANYL TRAFFICKING OPERATION ALLEGEDLY COORDINATED FROM MEXICAN PRISON

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO — Five individuals have been arrested and federally charged in connection with an alleged international drug trafficking operation that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl across southern New Mexico while being coordinated by an American citizen incarcerated in a Mexican prison.

Federal prosecutors announced the charges on October 15, 2026, following an investigation involving the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Las Cruces/Doña Ana County Metro Narcotics unit. Authorities identified Felix Anthony Salazar III, 34, as a suspected organizer who allegedly arranged drug transactions from a correctional facility in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

The investigation began in mid-2025 as federal and local authorities examined suspected narcotics distribution between Ciudad Juárez and communities in southern New Mexico. Investigators allege that Salazar maintained communications with associates outside the prison and coordinated deliveries to undercover law enforcement personnel.

On September 5, 2025, Salazar allegedly arranged the purchase of approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine for $3,800 in Anthony, New Mexico. Yadira Lizett Cano, 28, of El Paso, Texas, reportedly drove to the meeting location with a 16-year-old passenger.

Investigators allege that the juvenile personally delivered the methamphetamine to an undercover agent and collected payment. Subsequent laboratory testing established that the packages contained approximately 973 grams of pure methamphetamine.

Federal authorities accuse Cano of knowingly using the minor to facilitate the transaction, resulting in an additional federal charge involving the use of a juvenile in a drug trafficking operation.

A second transaction allegedly occurred on September 17, 2025, when Salazar arranged the sale of approximately half a kilogram of methamphetamine for $1,800 in Sunland Park.

Moses Andrew Gonzales, 36, and Martha Janeth Grijalva Fierro, 36, both of El Paso, allegedly arrived together at the designated location. Gonzales reportedly handed the drugs to the undercover agent, while investigators identified communications between Salazar and Grijalva Fierro that allegedly connected her to the transaction. Laboratory analysis confirmed approximately 468 grams of pure methamphetamine.

The third documented transaction took place on October 24, 2025, in Las Cruces. Prosecutors allege that Salazar coordinated another sale involving both methamphetamine and fentanyl pills.

Suleima Eidali Miranda, 31, allegedly directed an undercover agent to a residence where she delivered packages containing the narcotics in exchange for $2,000. Laboratory testing subsequently confirmed approximately 984 grams of pure methamphetamine and 251 grams of fentanyl.

Across the three documented transactions, laboratory testing identified approximately 2.425 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and 251 grams of fentanyl. These quantities represent the drugs described in the undercover purchases, not an established total for every transaction allegedly conducted by the organization.

The involvement of fentanyl adds a serious public health dimension to the investigation. Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid capable of causing fatal respiratory depression, and its distribution remains a major concern for federal authorities investigating cross-border narcotics trafficking.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment identified methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking as significant threats to communities across the United States. The assessment also described the role of transnational criminal organizations and domestic distribution networks in moving illicit synthetic drugs through the Southwest border region.

All five defendants face federal charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Additional charges reflect their alleged individual involvement.

Cano is charged with distribution of methamphetamine and using a juvenile in a drug operation. Gonzales and Grijalva Fierro each face a separate charge of distributing methamphetamine. Miranda is charged with distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, while Salazar and Miranda are additionally charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

These charges distinguish the alleged collective agreement to distribute narcotics from the specific transactions attributed to individual defendants. A conspiracy charge requires prosecutors to establish the elements of a criminal agreement, while substantive distribution charges address particular drug trafficking offenses.

Federal authorities confirmed that all five individuals have been arrested and remain in federal custody.

Salazar, who had been incarcerated in Ciudad Juárez, surrendered to law enforcement on the night of October 11, 2026, after crossing from Mexico into the United States. The Justice Department did not specify the circumstances of his departure from the Mexican prison or the arrangements preceding his surrender.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico and FBI Albuquerque Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris announced the charges.

The FBI’s Las Cruces Resident Agency led the investigation with assistance from the Las Cruces/Doña Ana County Metro Narcotics unit and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.

The investigation was conducted under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, established through Executive Order 14159. The initiative coordinates federal, state, local, and other law enforcement resources to investigate transnational criminal organizations, drug trafficking operations, human smuggling networks, and related offenses.

The task force also prioritizes investigations involving crimes against children, a mandate reflected in the additional federal charge against Cano for allegedly using a juvenile in a drug trafficking operation.

The federal case remains in the pretrial stage. No guilty pleas, convictions, or sentences were announced in the October 15 release. All five defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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