ALBUQUERQUE — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Deming teenager is facing federal charges in two separate cases after allegedly selling cocaine and a modified firearm capable of automatic fire to an undercover officerand later fleeing from a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint during a high-speed incident.

According to court documents, on February 11, 2025, an undercover agent conducted a controlled purchase of cocaine from Gerald Anthony Lopez, 19. During the transaction, Lopez allegedly displayed a firearm equipped with an extended magazine and an MCD. Lopez offered to sell it for $1,300 with the switch or $1,000 without. He also claimed he could supply additional weapons, conversion devices, and narcotics.

On February 20, Lopez met with the agent again and sold cocaine and the firearm equipped with an MCD for $1,300. Lopez demonstrated how the switch worked and confirmed the extended magazine was loaded with 30 rounds.

Lopez is charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a machinegun, possession of an unregistered machinegun and possession of a firearm which was not identified by a serial number and will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Lopez faces up to 25 years in prison.

In addition to the firearms charges, Lopez is also facing a second federal case stemming from a separate incident. On May 6, 2025, Border Patrol agents encountered Lopez at the Interstate 10 Border Patrol checkpoint. Lopez initially consented to a canine inspection after agents detected the odor of cannabis coming from the vehicle. However, after briefly stopping at the secondary inspection area, Lopez fled the checkpoint at a high rate of speed.

Agents quickly alerted nearby units, and Border Patrol agents from Deming located and stopped Lopez on Highway 549 near Ventura Road. Based on the incident, Lopez is also facing charges for high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint. If convicted, Lopez faces up to five years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Special Agent in Charge Brendan Iber of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, andChief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the firearms offense with assistance from the New Mexico State Police. The U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector is investigating the immigration-related offense. The Las Cruces Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

Machine gun conversion devices and auto sears are illegal devices that transform semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of continuous firing with a single trigger pull. The possession, manufacture, and sale of these devices without proper licensing is a federal offense carrying severe penalties, including up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000.

The proliferation of these devices poses an immediate and critical threat to public safety. Between 2018 and 2023, the ATF recovered thousands of machine gun conversion devices, indicating an alarming trend in their availability and use. Violent street gangs are increasingly employing these devices, devastating communities and neighborhoods with unprecedented firepower.

This dramatic increase in illegal automatic weapons puts both civilians and law enforcement at extreme risk. Officers responding to incidents may find themselves severely outgunned, facing weapons capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. The potential for mass casualties in such encounters is staggering.

Law enforcement agencies are racing against time to intercept these devices before they can be used in violent crimes. Public cooperation is crucial in combating this threat. If you have information about illegal firearms or conversion devices, please contact the ATF immediately:

Call: 1-888-ATF-Tips (1-888-283-8477)

Email: ATFTips@atf.gov

Visit: www.atf.gov/atf-tips

Your tip could save lives and prevent these dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands. The time to act is now, before our community fall victim to the devastating impact of these illegal automatic weapons.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.