New Mexico man arrested after standoff with ICE HSI for trafficking methamphetamine

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A man from Deming, New Mexico, was arrested Thursday for trafficking methamphetamine after a three-hour standoff with special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Border Drug Task Force and the New Mexico Police assisted with the investigation.

Lorenzo Sanchez, 39, appeared in federal court April 27 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

On Aug. 22, 2019, Sanchez was arrested after authorities discovered about 809 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle after a traffic stop in Luna County, New Mexico, according to the criminal complaint. Sanchez also allegedly possessed $5,000 from selling narcotics.

On Thursday, HSI special agents and other law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Sanchez on a federal arrest warrant at a home between Deming and Columbus, New Mexico. However, Sanchez barricaded himself inside the home. After a three-hour standoff, special agents arrested Sanchez without incident.

Sanchez remains in federal custody. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. A criminal complaint is only an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Saltman is prosecuting this case for the government.