ALBUQUERQUE – A Deming man was sentenced to 101 months in prison after admitting he possessed a machinegun in furtherance of cocaine trafficking and fled a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint, leading agents on a pursuit that reached approximately 140 mph on Interstate 10.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and Lopez's plea agreement, on February 11, 2025, an undercover law enforcement officer conducted a controlled purchase of cocaine from Gerald Anthony Lopez , 20. During the transaction, Lopez displayed a Glock handgun equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device (MCD), commonly known as a "switch." Lopez offered to sell the firearm for $1,300 with the switch installed or $1,000 without it and stated he could supply additional firearms, conversion devices, and narcotics.
On February 20, Lopez met with an undercover law enforcement officer and sold cocaine and the Glock handgun equipped with the MCD for $1,300. During the sale, Lopez demonstrated how the switch converted the firearm from semiautomatic to fully automatic fire and confirmed the extended magazine was loaded with 30 rounds. In his plea agreement, Lopez admitted that he knowingly possessed and carried the machinegun in furtherance of his cocaine trafficking, that he understood the switch converted the firearm into a machinegun, and that he had personally modified the firearm with the device.
In a separate incident on May 6, 2025, Lopez fled from a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Luna County after agents referred him to secondary inspection. According to court documents and Lopez 's plea agreement, he led agents on a high-speed pursuit, reaching speeds of approximately 140 mph on Interstate 10, where the posted speed limit was 75 mph.
Lopez pleaded guilty to high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, illegal possession of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm not registered with the national firearms registration and transfer record. Upon his release from prison, Lopez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Patrol Agent Jesse D. Muñoz of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the firearms offense in partnership with the New Mexico State Police. The U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector is investigating the immigration-related offense. The Las Cruces Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
Machine gun conversion devices and auto sears are illegal devices that transform semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of continuous firing with a single trigger pull. The possession, manufacture, and sale of these devices without proper licensing is a federal offense carrying severe penalties, including up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000.
The proliferation of these devices poses an immediate and critical threat to public safety. Between 2018 and 2023, the ATF recovered thousands of machine gun conversion devices, indicating an alarming trend in their availability and use. Violent street gangs are increasingly employing these devices, devastating communities and neighborhoods with unprecedented firepower.
This dramatic increase in illegal automatic weapons puts both civilians and law enforcement at extreme risk. Officers responding to incidents may find themselves severely outgunned, facing weapons capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. The potential for mass casualties in such encounters is staggering.
Law enforcement agencies are working to seize these illegal devices racing against time to intercept these devices before they can be used in violent crimes. Public cooperation is crucial in combating this threat. If you have information about illegal firearms or conversion devices, please contact the ATF immediately:
Call: 1-888-ATF-Tips (1-888-283-8477)
Email: ATFTips@atf.gov
Visit: www.atf.gov/atf-tips
Your tip could save lives and prevent these dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands. The time to act is now, before our community falls victim to the devastating impact of these illegal automatic weapons.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — New Mexico — U.S. Department of Justice press release.