$110k Fentanyl Bust, Roof Escape Leads to Two Lea County Arrests

LUBBOCK, TX — A man was arrested by the Lea County Drug Task Force and the Lea County Sheriff's Office on Saturday, May 3, after a dramatic attempt to flee.

According to a press release from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, Jose Marquez, 38, was wanted on several federal arrest warrants and tried to flee by crawling through the roof space of his apartment, making his way onto a neighbor’s roof, and then falling through the ceiling into the neighbor's apartment.

After falling, Marquez ran out of the apartment and attempted to escape on foot, but was quickly captured.

Marquez was wanted for federal charges, including possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and a violation of supervised release, which were tied to a narcotics investigation from November 2024.

The investigation began on November 9, 2024, when LCDTF agents and deputies located a vehicle suspected of transporting fentanyl pills in Tatum, NM. The vehicle was parked at an Allsup’s convenience store, and when officers approached, a K9 unit alerted them to the presence of drugs inside, says LCSO.

A subsequent search revealed around 11,000 pills suspected to be fentanyl, worth an estimated $110,000. Marquez was charged in connection with the drugs found in the vehicle.

As authorities worked to find Marquez, they learned that Rose Mojica, 57, of Hobbs was helping him avoid being captured. Mojica was arrested on May 5, and charged with Harboring, a fourth-degree felony.

Marquez now faces serious federal charges related to fentanyl trafficking, while Mojica is expected to face charges for assisting him in evading law enforcement.