Man to be held in jail following FBI drug raid in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – An FBI task force says they found 100,000 fentanyl pills and 16 pounds of meth at a northeast Albuquerque home. 

The home was raided last week as part of an ongoing operation to crack down on drug traffickers. 

Investigators say the man who had all that in his home is Jerry Bezie.

On Tuesday, a judge decided if he’s too dangerous to be released from jail. 

“This was an exceptionally large amount of drugs, the amount that I don’t think I’ve ever personally seen on the cases that I have dealt with over my five years as an attorney,” said the prosecutor. 

In a virtual hearing Tuesday, prosecutors argued Bezie is too dangerous to be released from jail. 

“In addition to that large amount of drugs, this was found in conjunction with multiple firearms defendant knows he shouldn’t be having this possession,” the prosecutor said. 

Officers arrested Bezie last Thursday, March 23, following an FBI task force raid on two Albuquerque homes. 

According to a search warrant, agents seized 100,000 fentanyl pills, 16 pounds of meth, 100 Xanax, four pistols, and one rifle from Bezie’s northeast Albuquerque home. 

According to the warrant, informants told FBI agents Bezie, and Julian Leyba were supplying fentanyl – which was then sold along Central in Albuquerque. 

According to documents, no drugs were seized from Leyba’s southeast Albuquerque home. But the documents say investigators seized six guns, among other items from his place. 

Neither man is supposed to have a gun because they are convicted felons.

Leyba was granted release on state charges last week, but is currently in the Bernalillo County jail on a federal hold. 

As for Bezie:  

“He hasn’t had a trafficking conviction that I saw on the record since 2013, for which he served the probation and completed it,” said the defense attorney.  

His defense argued for release because he hasn’t picked up any serious charges in years. 

“If this court did have a supervision condition, ankle monitoring, the strictest conditions that this court could impose, that could be satisfactory,” the defense attorney said. 

The judge however said given Bezie’s past history and current charges he is a danger.

“So you’ll be detained Mr. Bezie pending the outcome of this case,” the judge said.  

There is a chance he could still get out. 

Prosecutors say they plan to take the case to a grand jury in April. If he is not indicted by the grand jury, he will be released.