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Man Who Fled From Border Patrol Checkpoint Could Get Five Years In Prison

  ALBUQUERQUE – Carlos Torres, 39, of Huntington Park, Calif., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to fleeing from a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint at a high rate of speed.  The guilty plea was entered without the benefit of a plea agreement.

   Torres was arrested on Jan. 28, 2015, during a routine inspection at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 10 in Doña Ana County, N.M.  According to the criminal complaint, after Torres entered the checkpoint, Border Patrol agents directed him to a secondary inspection area.  As agents were walking towards Torres’ vehicle, Torres drove away from the checkpoint and led agents in a high speed pursuit.  When he was arrested, the agents found approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine in Torres’ vehicle.

   During today’s plea hearing, Torres pled guilty to a felony information charging him with high speed flight from an immigration checkpoint and fleeing from federal law enforcement agents.

   At sentencing, Torres faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.  Torres’ sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

   This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the U.S. Border Patrol and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edwin Garreth Winstead, III of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

Information from Department of Justice