Albuquerque, New Mexico – A failed Republican candidate for political office in New Mexico, Solomon Peña, has been accused of hiring a man to carry out drive-by shootings targeting the homes of Democrats who did not support false claims of election-rigging. This shocking revelation came from federal court documents filed on Friday by Demetrio Trujillo, a 42-year-old man who confessed to his involvement in the attacks.
Trujillo pleaded guilty to charges of election interference, criminal conspiracy, and firearms-related offenses and could face several years in prison. According to the US attorney’s office in Albuquerque, a sentencing hearing for Trujillo has not yet been scheduled. In addition to Trujillo’s confession, authorities have charged Peña with lying about the fraudulent theft of the race he lost, which fueled the plot to carry out the drive-by shootings.
The drive-by shootings occurred shortly after officials certified Peña’s electoral loss in November 2022. Although no one was wounded in the shootings, bullets did penetrate the bedroom of a state senator’s 10-year-old daughter. Trujillo admitted that he was hired by Peña to carry out the attacks to intimidate officials who did not support their cause.
Further evidence obtained from smartphone communications tied Peña to the attacks, as they indicated the targeted officials’ homes and included plans to “press the attack” over the election results. Additionally, prior to the attacks, Peña had approached members of the commission that certifies election results, claiming that the race he lost had been rigged against him and urging them to reject its results.
Since the drive-by shootings, New Mexico lawmakers have passed legislation making it a state felony to intimidate election officials. The legislation also allows some elected officials and political candidates to withhold their home addresses from public government websites. Peña awaits a trial set for June 2024, while Trujillo’s son, Jose Louise Trujillo, has already pleaded guilty to charges related to the case.
The shocking revelation of these drive-by shootings and the subsequent legal actions against those involved serve as a stark reminder of the dangerous consequences of spreading false claims and undermining the democratic process.