A woman and man arrested on drug and other charges following a York County traffic stop in May are now facing federal drug and weapons charges.
US Attorney for Nebraska Susan Lehr announced Thursday that a federal grand jury has indicted 39-year-old Sonia Martinez and 36-year-old Andrew Juarez, both of Scottsbluff, for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, and use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The Indictment says the drug trafficking conspiracy took place between January 24 and May 9 this year, with the weapons crime committed at the start of that period.
According to State court records, a Scotts Bluff County case involving the pair was underway involving the WING Drug Task Force, Tri-Cities Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), Scottsbluff Police, Scottsbluff Sheriff’s Office and Nebraska State Patrol, looking into firearms and methamphetamine distribution in Scottsbluff, Bridgeport, Sidney, North Platte, Lexington, Hastings, Lincoln and elsewhere.
The arrest warrant application said controlled buy operations were conducted in Scottsbluff by WING on Jan. 24, Feb. 19 and Feb. 25, during which Martinez sold a total of just over 333 grams of meth, including packaging, with Juarez present at all three locations where the transactions occurred. The affiant also said the pair had sold three firearms, a pair of .22 caliber Marlin rifles, and a Savage .308 rifle, during the first controlled purchase.
Court records also pointed to additional controlled buys taking place at a Bridgeport gas station Jan. 31 involving the sale of just over 66.2 grams of methamphetamine, and two drug task force operations in North Platte on Feb. 10 and Mar. 23, involving nearly 331 grams of meth and one handgun.
On May 5, the pair were taken into custody by York County Sheriff’s deputies following a traffic stop in which two pounds of meth was seized during a probable cause search involving a K9. According to the arrest affidavit, an NSP investigator assigned to TRIDENT informed York County investigators that the pair had been involved in controlled purchases of methamphetamine and/or firearms in other counties, and that they had visited Mexico in the past several months.
The federal conspiracy charge carries a possible penalty of not less than 15 years up to life imprisonment, and a $20 million fine.
If convicted of the firearms charge, they could face not less than 5 years up to life imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000.
