Actions

PD: Man with ankle monitor caught transporting drugs in Phoenix

PD: Man with ankle monitor caught transporting drugs in Phoenix
Posted
and last updated

A man wearing an ankle monitor for an immigration violation is accused of transporting meth from Tucson to Phoenix. 

Tempe police received information that 26-year-old Noe Gamaliel Martinez Armenta was transporting illegal drugs from Nogales to Phoenix. 

Armenta is in the United States illegally and was wearing an ankle monitor after being released from the Department of Homeland Security, court documents said.

Armenta and his partner, 46-year-old Mark Anthony Ruiz, were stopped in separate vehicles, near 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road, around 11 p.m. on June 7.

Investigators say Ruiz was caught with 10 pounds of methamphetamine in his car that was packaged for distribution. 

Ruiz reportedly told investigators that his role was to receive the illegal drugs in Nogales and transport them to Phoenix. He was paid $2,500 for the transport. 

He reportedly told police that they had done this about 10-15 times over the past four months.

Armenta allegedly admitted to coordinating the delivery and distribution of the drugs and reportedly said they were delivering their last 10 pounds when they were stopped by police. 

Police say the 10 pounds of meth they were caught with is worth about $20,000.

Both men have been charged with conspiracy and transportation dangerous drugs.