(Source: Department of Justice press release, U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of New Mexico, January 29, 2021)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Luis Angel Rodriguez, 27, of La Mesa, New Mexico, made his initial appearance in federal court today where he was charged with knowingly derailing a train. Rodriguez will remain detained pending a preliminary hearing.
According to a criminal complaint, in the early morning hours of Dec. 2, 2020, Rodriguez allegedly placed materials on a track causing a BNSF Railway train to derail in Vado, New Mexico. The derailment injured the conductor and engineer and caused damage to the railway and surrounding property.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Rodriguez faces up to life in prison.
The FBI investigated this case in conjunction with BNSF Police and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Saltman is prosecuting the case.