New Mexico (BN24) – A former Republican state legislative candidate in New Mexico was sentenced Wednesday to 80 years in prison for masterminding a series of politically motivated drive-by shootings targeting the homes of Democratic officials following his 2022 election defeat.
Solomon Peña, 40, was convicted earlier this year on 13 felony charges for organizing and, in one instance, personally carrying out the attacks on four officials between December 2022 and January 2023 in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city. The shootings caused no injuries but sent shockwaves through the political landscape, drawing comparisons to other high-profile incidents of political violence, including the 2022 hammer attack on the husband of U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi.
Federal prosecutors said Peña’s actions were fueled by baseless conspiracy theories that he was the victim of election fraud. He lost his November 2022 race for the New Mexico House of Representatives to Democratic incumbent Miguel P. Garcia by a wide margin of 48 percentage points — roughly 3,600 votes. Despite the decisive loss, Peña refused to accept the results and pressured members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners not to certify the vote. His claims echoed unfounded allegations of widespread fraud that surged nationally after President Donald Trump refused to concede the 2020 presidential election.
When officials rejected his demands, Peña recruited Jose Trujillo and Demetrio Trujillo, among others, to carry out shootings at the homes of two county commissioners and two state legislators. Investigators said Peña paid the men for at least two of the attacks and later personally opened fire in one of the incidents.
The violence began within weeks of his defeat, with coordinated strikes on December 4, December 8, January 3, and January 5. Police recovered evidence linking Peña to the attacks, including ballistic matches and cellphone records.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina previously described Peña as the “mastermind” of the plot, while Mayor Tim Keller condemned the crimes as “a threat to our nation” and proof that political extremism had reached the city’s doorstep.
“This sentence sends a clear message — violence and intimidation have no place in our elections,” said U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Ryan Ellison after the sentencing.
Peña’s attorney, Nicholas Hart, said his client plans to appeal the conviction. Meanwhile, the two men he hired have pleaded guilty in connection with the shootings.
