Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) –It’s 26 years in prison for Robert Ortiz III from Hobbs for drug trafficking and firearm charges. Ortiz previously pleaded guilty to charges including possession with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Court documents reveal Lea County Drug Task Force agents stopped a vehicle driven by Ortiz in October of 2023. During the stop a canine alerted law enforcement to narcotics. Ortiz admitted to possessing three firearms and about 3800 fentanyl pills. The following month authorities attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Ortiz. He fled into Texas where he fired shots at deputies and threw a backpack out of the vehicle. Ortiz was eventually captured in Hobbs. 10,000 fentanyl pills were in the backpack and over 827 grams of meth and four firearms. Following his release from prison, Ortiz will be subject to five years supervised probation.
