Failed New Mexico Candidate Sentenced to 80 Years for Drive-By Shootings at Lawmakers’ Homes

Published: 14 August 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

A former political candidate in New Mexico has been sentenced to 80 years in federal prison for his role in a series of drive-by shootings targeting the homes of state and local officials in Albuquerque. Solomon Peña, a failed Republican candidate, was convicted earlier this year on charges including conspiracy and weapons violations, stemming from attacks carried out in December 2022 and January 2023. Among the targets was the sitting state House speaker, along with several other Democratic officials.

Prosecutors, who had requested a 90-year sentence, emphasized that Peña demonstrated no remorse for his actions. They argued that he sought to intimidate officials and disrupt political participation in an effort to enact political change following the 2020 election. According to the prosecution, Peña’s actions reflected a belief that the election had been “rigged,” motivating him to resort to violence after losing his bid for the state Legislature by nearly 50 percentage points.

The attacks occurred against a backdrop of nationwide threats and intimidation targeting election workers and public officials in the wake of disputes over the 2020 presidential election. Although no one was physically injured in the Albuquerque shootings, bullets passed through the bedroom of a state senator’s 10-year-old daughter, highlighting the dangerous nature of the incidents.

Peña’s defense team had requested a sentence of five years, maintaining that their client was innocent. They argued that the prosecution’s case relied heavily on the testimony of two men who admitted their involvement in the attacks and had secured plea agreements in exchange for reduced sentences. The Associated Press reported that Peña’s lawyers could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Two other individuals who had assisted Peña in the attacks previously pleaded guilty to federal charges and received lengthy prison sentences. The case underscores the heightened tensions and violent episodes that followed the 2020 election, illustrating the real-world consequences of political extremism and attempts to undermine democratic processes through intimidation and fear.