Early Sunday morning, a routine patrol in Socorro turned into a brief sprint and a drug bust, as El Paso County deputies arrested two men after a foot chase near a closed business in the 12100 block of Socorro. A deputy reportedly spotted the pair carrying several bags, and when he moved in to talk with them, they bolted. One man was detained almost immediately, while an assisting deputy caught up with the second after a short pursuit. During the investigation, deputies said they recovered about 2.12 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded shotgun. Both men were later taken to the county jail on a mix of fresh charges and outstanding warrants.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspects as 26-year-old Jimmy Rodriguez and 23-year-old Merlin Richards, and detailed the recovered drugs and firearm, according to KDBC/CBS4. Rodriguez faces counts of evading arrest or detention, resisting arrest, search, or transportation, and possession of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 1/1-B, an amount alleged to be greater than 1 gram but less than 4 grams. Deputies said he was also arrested on outstanding warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault causing bodily injury. He was booked into the Downtown Detention Facility with a bond totaling $20,000. Richards was jailed on a criminal mischief warrant and is being held on a $3,000 bond.
Bodycam Footage And Sheriff’s Releases
The encounter was recorded on a body-worn camera, and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office regularly posts similar arrest clips and written updates on its Sheriff's News page. Those releases often lay out booking details, formal charges, and brief narratives of what deputies say happened, and include video that both investigators and the public can use to keep tabs on local crime. In this case, deputies described the stop as a routine patrol check that quickly escalated once the two men took off running.
Legal Stakes
Under Texas law, possessing a Penalty Group 1 substance in an amount of one gram or more but less than four grams is a third-degree felony, punishable by two to 10 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, according to the Texas Health & Safety Code §481.115. That section covers methamphetamine and similar drugs, with penalties that climb as the quantity increases or when other charges are stacked on top. On top of the drug count, Rodriguez also faces the evading and resisting allegations and two outstanding assault warrants, which could leave him looking at significantly more time if prosecutors move forward on all of it.
Why It Matters Locally
Foot pursuits that end with drugs or guns pulled off the street are a recurring public safety storyline in the Socorro area, and deputies have been increasingly backing up those reports with bodycam video that local outlets air for residents. Coverage of prior cases has shown the sheriff’s office using that footage to support the narrative in arrest reports and to give the public a front-row seat to what deputies say unfolded, as seen in reporting by KVIA/ABC-7. The sheriff’s releases on these incidents typically close with a familiar refrain, encouraging anyone who sees suspicious activity to call Crime Stoppers or the sheriff’s office.
For now, Rodriguez and Richards remain in custody at the county’s downtown detention facility while authorities sort through the pending charges and any additional holds tied to their warrants. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers, according to KDBC/CBS4.
