ALBUQUERQUE - Ruben Adrian Rubalcava, 36, of Dunedin, Fla., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to methamphetamine trafficking and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens charges.
Rubalcava was arrested in Sept. 2018, and was charged in two separate federal criminal complaints. The first complaint, filed on Sept. 18, 2018, charged Rubalcava with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The second complaint, filed on Sept. 19, 2018, charged Rubalcava and co-defendant Keith Anthony Cummings, 35, of El Paso, Texas, with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Both complaints alleged that Rubalcava committed the crimes in Dona Ana County, N.M.
According to court filings, on Sept. 16, 2018, while responding to a sensor activation during routine patrol, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered three individuals sitting in a parking lot in Sunland Park, N.M. Subsequent immigration inspections of the individuals established that two of the individuals were aliens illegally present in the United States. The agents arrested the third individual, Cummings, on alien smuggling charges. The agents arrested Rubalcava on alien smuggling charges after he approached them and said the individuals were his friends. During a search incident to arrest, the agents found 408 grams of methamphetamine inside Rubalcava’s backpack.
During today’s proceedings, Rubalcava pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. In entering the guilty plea, Rubalcava admitted conspiring with another individual on Sept. 16, 2018, to drive to Sunland Park with the intention of picking up two illegal aliens who had unlawfully entered the United States. Rubalcava further admitted that the other individual walked the illegal aliens to Rubalcava’s vehicle and while waiting for Rubalcava to return to the vehicle, U.S. Border Patrol agents approached the vehicle and arrested the two illegal aliens and the other individual.
In his plea agreement, Rubalcava admitted that agents approached him while he was walking towards his vehicle and the agents found methamphetamine in his backpack. Rubalcava acknowledged that he intended to deliver the methamphetamine to others within the United States and that he participated in the conspiracy for financial gain.
At sentencing, Rubalcava faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
Cummings pled guilty to conspiring to transport illegal aliens on Oct. 10, 2018, and will remain in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
These cases were investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara Cobos of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
