El Paso Man Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping Resulting in Death

An El Paso man, Armando Leonardo Moreno, known as Cholo, pleaded guilty in federal court to kidnapping resulting in death. Moreno, 21, a former soldier in a transnational criminal organization (TCO), conspired with TCO members in September 2021 to kidnap a person from an El Paso stash house. The victim was taken to another location, beaten, and later found deceased in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with gunshot and stab wounds.

Moreno faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Codefendants Michelle Karen Avila and Ruben Pimentel have already been sentenced to 120 and 188 months in prison, respectively. Alberto Rodriguez and Ricardo Matthew Gutierrez are awaiting sentencing.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. The investigation involves Homeland Security Investigations, the El Paso Police Department, the New Mexico State Police, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.