An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to over 20 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Jaime Valdez, aged 36, was found guilty of possessing nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun.

The conviction followed an incident on February 20, 2021, when Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a report about a suspicious person in Albuquerque's South Valley. Deputies identified Valdez as matching the description and observed him behaving nervously. As they approached, Valdez reached into his pockets and a duffle bag, leading deputies to secure him.

A search revealed that Valdez had a loaded pistol in his pocket along with approximately $2,560 in cash. Inside the duffle bag were two packages containing 859.8 grams of pure methamphetamine as well as drug packaging materials and a scale.

Valdez had three outstanding felony warrants at the time of his arrest and prior felony convictions including False Imprisonment and Child Abuse, which prohibited him from possessing firearms.

Following his prison sentence, Valdez will face five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced the sentencing alongside Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nora Wilson and Joseph Spindle.

There is no parole in the federal system.