The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced today that Rogelio Rodriguez-Salas, 29, has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison for attempting to destroy an unmanned aerial system and federal drug trafficking.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2023, law enforcement officers tracked Rodriguez-Salas, a Mexican national who had previously been deported and was in the U.S. illegally, using a drone while he was in possession of a stolen vehicle, the department said.
In an attempt to evade surveillance, Rodriguez-Salas fired a handgun at the drone, the U.S. attorney’s office said. He was arrested after the incident but later released, the department confirmed.
On July 21, 2023, deputies with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department (BCSD) encountered Rodriguez-Salas, the office stated.
He was found in possession of a revolver while engaging in drug trafficking activities and driving another stolen vehicle, according to U.S. attorney’s office.
BCSD deputies reported that Rodriguez-Salas was carrying more than four grams of fentanyl when they stopped him, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.