Las Cruces man sentenced to 7 years for meth, fentanyl possession

Guillermo Yanez, 47, fled from police during an arrest attempt before officers recovered drugs and cash

Organ Mountain News report

LAS CRUCES - A Las Cruces man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl after fleeing from officers who tried to arrest him on a warrant.

Prosecutors said there is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, Las Cruces police officers attempted to arrest Guillermo Yanez, 47, on May 15, 2024, on an outstanding warrant from El Paso, Texas, for tampering with evidence in a narcotics case. Yanez ran from officers, jumping a wall into an apartment complex.

During the chase, officers saw Yanez reach into his waistband in an apparent attempt to discard contraband. Officers deployed less-lethal munitions that were ineffective before apprehending him. Police found methamphetamine and cash in his pocket.

A search of the area where Yanez ran turned up a container holding fentanyl-laced pills and powdered fentanyl. In total, officers recovered about 50 grams of pure methamphetamine and 99 grams of fentanyl.

In a post-arrest interview, Yanez admitted the drugs were his, that he had thrown the fentanyl container during the chase, and that he distributed drugs to support his methamphetamine use.

Yanez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Upon his release, he will serve four years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department and Las Cruces/Doña Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo prosecuted the case.