Local man arrested in drug raid sentenced
A local man who was arrested when local drug task force officers and other law enforcement personnel executed a search warrant on his residence earlier this year was sentenced to two years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to felony charges.
Andreas Salomon Labrador Torres, 35, who has remained in custody in lieu of bonds totaling $28,500 since his arrest April 1, pleaded guilty in Garland County
Circuit Court to possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to two years on each count, to
run concurrently.
Additional felony counts of unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes, possession of drug paraphernalia and furnishing prohibited articles were withdrawn and court costs were expunged for time served. Torres also agreed to forfeit all his property that was seized at the time of the raid.
Garland County Deputy Prosecutor Trent Daniels noted Torres had a hold on him by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will be deported upon his release. As a two-time convicted felon, especially involving drug charges, he would face federal felony charges if he ever tried to return to the United States, he said.
According to the affidavit, on April 1, officers with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force, Homeland Security, Hot Springs police and the Garland County Sheriff’s Tactical Response Team executed a warrant on Torres’ then residence at 126 Black Bear Lane, located off Mill Creek Road.
Daniels said they found Torres sleeping in a car in the driveway and located numerous items related to the charges against him in the trunk of the vehicle.
The officers located a plastic bag with 12.4 grams of what later tested positive for meth, digital scales, a loaded .40-caliber handgun, multiple Mexican passports and IDs, a cellphone, $3,146 in U.S. currency, two loaded .22-caliber rifles, night vision goggles, a police scanner, another smaller baggie of meth and a smoking pipe.
Another male, 48, was found inside the house who was also charged on multiple counts related to items found.
Daniels noted the second suspect was a major member of a Mexican drug cartel wanted out of Arizona. He said the suspect was making arrangements with his lawyer to bond out and “would have been gone,” so Daniels withdrew the charges he had in order to speed up the extradition process, which allowed Arizona authorities to take him back there.
He said Torres was “just a runner” and was working for the other man. “I think he was his driver basically,” he said.
After Torres was transported to the detention center, deputies there located another small bag of meth he had hidden on his person resulting in the additional furnishing prohibited articles charge.
The DTF is comprised of investigators from the Arkansas State Police, GCSD, HSPD, 18th Judicial District East prosecuting attorney’s office and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.