El Paso man pleads guilty in New Mexico to violating federal drug trafficking, firearms laws

Carlos Davenport, 41, of El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Davenport will be sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Davenport and his co-defendant Luis Contreras, 20, of Albuquerque, were arrested on Dec. 13, 2014, in Bernalillo County, N.M., after law enforcement officers executed a consensual search on the vehicle in which Davenport and Contreras were traveling and found ten pounds of methamphetamine.

Davenport and Contreras were indicted on Jan. 8, 2015, and charged with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Dec. 13, 2014, and using and carrying firearms in relation to a drug trafficking crime on Dec. 13, 2014. All offenses took place in Bernalillo County.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, Davenport pled guilty to Counts 1 and 3 of the indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

In entering his guilty plea, Davenport admitted that on Dec. 13, 2014, while traveling eastbound on Interstate 40, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle.

He also admitted giving the officer consent to search the vehicle and that the officer found ten pounds of methamphetamine and two firearms during his search of the vehicle.

Davenport acknowledged that he and his co-defendant intended to distribute the methamphetamine to others and had the firearms in the vehicle for protection related to the methamphetamine.

Davenport has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has not been scheduled.

Contreras has entered a not guilty plea to the indictment, and is currently scheduled for trial on Aug. 3, 2015. Charges in complaints and indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.