ALBUQUERQUE — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man is facing federal charges after allegedly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office helicopter and striking the cockpit over a dozen times.

According to public court documents, on October 7, 2025, Jorge Pinon Armendariz, 47, directed a green laser at the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Metro 1 helicopter while it was assisting ground operations. The laser struck the aircraft multiple times, including repeated hits to the pilot’s eyes.

Still image from the recording from inside the helicopter at the time of the strike

Using the aircraft’s onboard camera, the crew tracked the laser beam first to a vehicle in a McDonald’s drive-thru and later to a nearby residence. Ground deputies responded to the residence, and Armendariz fled the scene. Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies identified Armendariz as the individual who repeatedly aimed the laser beam at Metro 1 that night.

At the time of the incident, Armendariz had an active state warrant for violating conditions of pretrial release in a state case allegedly involving receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, New Mexico had the second-highest number of reported laser incidents per capita in 2024 and 2025, second only to Washington, D.C.

Armendariz is federally charged with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 39A. If convicted of the current charges, Armendariz faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jena Ritchey is prosecuting the case.

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