Man charged in Vado train derailment that hurt 2, caused millions of dollars damage

VADO, New Mexico – A 27-year-old New Mexico man was charged in federal court Friday with sabotaging rail tracks and intentionally derailing a freight train in Vado last month that injured two people and caused millions of dollars in damage.

Luis Angel Rodriguez of La Mesa was ordered held without bond after making an initial court appearance on a federal charge of knowingly derailing a train.

Court documents allege that he placed railroad ties on the tracks the morning of Dec. 2 that caused two Burlington Northern Santa Fe locomotives and 12 empty cars to run off the rails, injuring the train's conductor and engineer. New Mexico State Police investigators had previously said ties left on the tracks triggered the derailment.

Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart told the Las Cruces Sun-News that deputies found evidence against Rodriguez in the derailment case after his recent arrest on an unrelated charge.

“He was in a stolen vehicle with a truckload full of stolen equipment,” Stewart said. “We got him booked, we served a search warrant. There were railroad ties found at the location that he got served and some equipment to move the ties.”

It took several weeks to clean up the wreckage from the derailment, which occurred along NM 189 near milepost two, about 15 miles south of Las Cruces in Dona Ana County. In addition to significant property damage, thousands of gallons of diesel fuel leaked.

A judge will soon schedule a preliminary hearing in the case. Prosecutors said if convicted, Rodriguez could face a possible life prison sentence.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)