Feds sentence man to 17 years for drug trafficking, importing a tiger

An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing mass amounts of fentanyl and illegally transporting a tiger from Mexico to New Mexico in an attempt to sell it.

David "Cholo" Mendoza-Enriquez, 42, received his sentence Dec. 2 in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque after pleading guilty to eight charges, including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, alien in possession of ammunition, conspiracy to smuggle aliens and conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, a federal law that prohibits the transport and sale of certain wildlife. 

In a sentencing memorandum, Mendoza-Enriquez's attorney said he had grown up during difficult times in Mexico, often being exposed to violence and death at a young age while his parents worked over 12 hours a day.

Mendoza-Enriquez's attorney stated that after moving to the United States, he worked hard but got distracted by the illusion of easy money while selling drugs. His attorney ended the memorandum by requesting Mendoza-Enriquez serve 15 years in prison followed by five years of probation. 

A federal indictment states Mendoza-Enriquez had contacted a Mexican distributor of exotic animals to import Duke, a male Bengal tiger, to New Mexico. Albuquerque police found the baby tiger in a dog crate at a mobile home near Louisiana and Zuni on Jan. 10, 2023.

Mendoza-Enriquez had moved Duke to multiple locations around the city and sent a WhatsApp message to arrange the sale of the tiger, stating in Spanish, "Right now, what I have for sale here are two tigers."

At least two other tigers were imported for sale, the indictment states. Mendoza-Enriquez attempted to sell Duke for $16,000. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish took custody of the animal, which was taken to the ABQ BioPark before being transported to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado.

Authorities state Mendoza-Enriquez attempted to import other exotic animals, such as an alligator, and undocumented immigrants, including his sons, to the United States.

Mendoza-Enriquez is one of 15 defendants charged with drug and firearms trafficking in a 26-count separate superseding indictment. Court records state that from 2020 to January 2023, Mendoza-Enriquez transported "tens of thousands" of fentanyl pills from Juarez to Albuquerque as head of a fentanyl distribution network.

In 2020, law enforcement launched an undercover operation and bought fentanyl pills from Mendoza-Enriquez, including a 2022 purchase of nearly 5,000 pills from Mendoza-Enriquez's restaurant, Taco-H, the release states. 

"Mendoza coordinated additional multi-thousand-pill deals and handled drug proceeds," according to the release.

Mendoza-Enriquez was a Mexican immigrant who was in the country illegally, according to a statement issued Friday by the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico.  Prosecutors handled the case as part of "Operation Take Back America" — a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative launched in early 2025 to combat illegal immigration, eliminate transnational criminal organizations and fight violent crime.

Mendoza-Enriquez is not the only person to plead guilty in the case. To date, 14 co-defendants have pled guilty and seven have been sentenced, the release states. 

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.