FBI charges three Farmington residents in drug trafficking case

Federal agents seized cocaine, methamphetamine, firearms and thousands of dollars in suspected drug proceeds from a Farmington residence, then charged three people they say were tied to a drug trafficking organization operating in the city. The case centers on a cache that included about 430 grams of cocaine, AK- and AR-style rifles, a short-barreled rifle, handguns and a machine-gun conversion device.

Alex Scott Rowland, 18, Marco Antonio Villegas Avilez, 46, and Karyle Leanne Rowland, 65, were named in the federal complaint. Prosecutors charged each with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

Agents executed the search warrant on June 9 at a Farmington home occupied by the three defendants, according to federal authorities. Along with the cocaine, investigators recovered suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, mushrooms, ammunition and about $14,700 in cash. The investigation involved the FBI’s Farmington Resident Agency and the Region II Narcotics Task Force.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and FBI Albuquerque Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris announced the case on June 18. The defendants were ordered to remain in custody pending trial, and no trial date had been set. If convicted, they face five to 20 years in prison.

The complaint puts a heavy focus on the mix of drugs, cash and weapons recovered from one Farmington address, a combination that federal authorities often treat as evidence of a trafficking operation rather than simple possession. The allegations remain unproven, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted.