ALBUQUERQUE — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)), published as received.
ALBUQUERQUE – A Texas man who fled a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint at high speed, drove into oncoming traffic, and killed a motorcyclist while transporting nearly 10 kilograms of methamphetamine has been sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on November 8, 2023, Jeffery Christopher Saint Louis, 29, approached a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 54 and, after being referred to secondary inspection, fled at a high rate of speed. Law enforcement officers observed Saint Louis driving recklessly, reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, swerving between vehicles, and ultimately driving into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road.
As the pursuit continued, Saint Louis collided head-on with a motorcyclist, killing the victim at the scene. Data recovered from the vehicle later showed that Saint Louis was traveling approximately 71 miles per hour at the time of impact and did not apply his brakes before the crash. After the collision, his vehicle veered off the road into a nearby brush, where responding officers detained him.
A subsequent search of the vehicle, conducted pursuant to a warrant, revealed approximately 9.9 kilograms of pure methamphetamine concealed in the trunk.
During interviews with law enforcement, Saint Louis admitted he knew the narcotics were in the vehicle and that he intended to distribute them. He further acknowledged fleeing from the checkpoint because of the drugs.
Saint Louis pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint. Upon his release from prison, Saint Louis will be subject to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol, the New Mexico State Police, Alamogordo Police Department, and Otero County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez prosecuted the case.
