Fentanyl, guns, cars, cash & grenade vest seized in Albuquerque drug raids

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Federal authorities have seized thousands of dollars in cash, around 100,000 fentanyl pills, guns, vehicles and a lot more after two recent drug raids. At the center of the raids are two suspects who are now facing state charges related to guns and drugs.

Federal authorities with the Albuquerque FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force executed the raids Thursday at two different homes in the Albuquerque area. A search warrant indicates teams first searched a home on Del Norte Drive SW near Rio Bravo and Isleta in the South Valley. That’s where the investigators found drugs, cash and other items thought to be tied to drug dealing.

According to documents filed in U.S. Federal Court, the task force seized 16 pounds of meth, 100,000 blue fentanyl pills, and around 100 Xanax pills. Investigators also seized around $12,000 in cash, a money counter, and “several thousands [of] dollars worth of jewelry.”

Among some of the biggest seizures, federal authorities took a Hummer H2 from the Del Norte Drive home, along with a Polaris RZR off-road vehicle, a three-wheeled Slingshot vehicle and two trailers. Authorities also seized four pistols and a semi-automatic rifles, as well as ammunition and “high capacity magazines.”

Police arrested Jerry Bezie, 34, at the home. According to a search warrant, the FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force believes Bezie and another man, Julian Leyba, 37, have been “distributing firearms and fentanyl in the Albuquerque area.” Bezie has two prior felony convictions related to drug trafficking in Albuquerque in 2013.

Following the search of the Del Norte Drive property, a federal court filing indicates teams searched another home on General Chennault Street NE near Copper and Wyoming in Albuquerque’s South Los Altos neighborhood. Authorities arrested Julian Leyba at the property.

Inside of the General Chennault Street home, federal agents found six guns, including a semi automatic assault rifle, four pistols and a semi automatic AR pistol. According to a criminal complaint tied to Leyba’s arrest, authorities say one of those weapons was reported stolen. Investigators also found ammo, ammo magazines, two ballistic vests and a “grenade fragment vest,” sometimes called a flak jacket.

The FBI says Leyba has three prior felony convictions in Bernalillo County between 2005 and 2013 for drug trafficking, evidence tampering and drug possession charges. Jail records from the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center indicate both Leyba and Bezie were booked Thursday.

Bezie is accused of four state charges, including receipt, transportation or possession of a firearm by certain persons, and three counts of trafficking controlled substances. Leyba is facing two counts, accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a stolen firearm.

Both suspects are expected face a judge Friday afternoon for a First Appearance in Bernalillo County Metro Court.