DENVER, Colo. (KOAA) — The United States District Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado announced Tuesday that a Pueblo man was sentenced to 20 years in prison on gun and drug charges.
Joshua Pacheco, 33, was arrested on October 20, 2023. Pacheco was on supervised release at the time of his arrest in terms of a plea agreement for a previous conviction of possessing a firearm as a prior felon.
Officers arrested Pacheco after searching his vehicle and located the following:
- numerous firearms including machine guns
- 351 grams of fentanyl pills
- 621 grams of methamphetamine
- around 2,000 in cash
Officers said Pacheco had the intent to distribute the drugs across Pueblo.
“Illegal guns and illicit drugs continue to drive violence in our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “By bringing the full force of federal prosecution against the most dangerous offenders, we are removing threats from our neighborhoods and sending an unmistakable message: the FBI’s Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force is firmly committed to protecting our citizens and upholding the rule of law.”
The arrest came after a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the FBI's Southern Colorado Safe Street Task Force.
Pacheco has a lengthy run-in with law enforcement and was arrested on similar charges in 2018, part of a large-scale operation targeting 156 fugitive gang members across the state dubbed "Operation Triple Beam Colorado."
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