Drake Armendariz Sentenced to 14 Years for 2023 Las Cruces I‑25 Murder

Drake Armendariz, then 16, pleaded guilty to first‑degree murder for the March 3, 2023 shooting on Interstate 25 near Las Cruces, New Mexico. He fired six rounds into a vehicle, striking 17‑year‑old passenger Benjamin Archuleta, who died a day before his 18th birthday.

The Third Judicial District Court sentenced Armendariz to a 30‑year term with 16 years suspended, resulting in an effective 14‑year prison term, plus 793 days of pre‑sentence credit. He will serve two years of parole followed by five years of probation after release. The case, originally dismissed in February 2024, was reinstated by Doña Ana County District Attorney Fernando Macías, who emphasized accountability for violent offenders. Judge Douglas R. Driggers presided over the sentencing.