Alexander M.M. Uballez U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico
An El Paso man has admitted guilt to federal drug trafficking charges following a high-speed chase and collision in Otero County. Jeffery Christopher Saint Louis, 28, pleaded guilty after fleeing a Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 54, resulting in a head-on crash with a motorcyclist.
Court documents reveal that on November 8, 2023, Saint Louis was directed to secondary inspection at the checkpoint but chose to flee towards Alamogordo. During his escape, he drove at high speed on the wrong side of the road before colliding with a motorcyclist.
The Otero County Sheriff's Office later obtained a search warrant for his vehicle. A search uncovered nearly 10 kilograms of pure methamphetamine hidden in a suitcase in the trunk. In his plea agreement, Saint Louis admitted knowledge of the drugs and intended to distribute them.
Saint Louis faces a sentence ranging from ten years to life imprisonment and up to five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, announced this development.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Border Patrol, Alamogordo Police Department, Otero County Sheriff’s Office, and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon Aragon Martinez and Maria Armijo are handling prosecution duties.
