A Hobbs man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after authorities found fentanyl, methamphetamine, and firearms during two separate traffic stops in July 2023.
Court documents state that on July 4, 2023, deputies from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mark Liges, 34, on an outstanding warrant. A police canine detected narcotics in his vehicle, which was subsequently impounded pending a search warrant.
The next day, law enforcement officers executed the search warrant and discovered 679.4 grams of fentanyl and 199 grams of pure methamphetamine inside the vehicle. Officers also located two loaded handguns, a digital scale, and empty baggies. Further investigation included a search of Liges' cellphone, which contained text messages supporting his involvement in drug distribution.
On July 12, just over a week after his initial arrest, Liges was taken into custody again in Hobbs for driving with a suspended license. During this incident, he told officers he was carrying another firearm and acknowledged knowing it was illegal but claimed he needed it for protection. Liges has prior felony convictions from 2010 for marijuana distribution and from 2013 for possession of a firearm by a felon, making it unlawful for him to possess firearms.
Liges pleaded guilty to charges including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He will also serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, announced the sentence. “This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.”
The case was investigated by the DEA’s El Paso Division with support from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the Lea County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Williams is prosecuting.
