- Ex-candidate organized shootings after losing by 50% margin
- Attacks targeted 4 Democratic officials' homes post-election
- No injuries reported despite bullets piercing child's bedroom
- Trial featured testimony from accomplices with plea deals
Federal prosecutors secured a landmark conviction against Solomon Peña, whose political aspirations turned violent following a crushing 2020 electoral defeat. The former Republican state legislative candidate faces life imprisonment for masterminding firearm attacks against Albuquerque lawmakers in what authorities describe as election denialism turned deadly.
The shootings occurred between December 2022 and January 2023, targeting homes of officials who certified midterm results where Peña lost by a landslide 50-point margin. Ballistic evidence showed a fully automatic weapon was used in at least one attack, with rounds penetrating a state senator's residence where his 10-year-old daughter slept.
This case reflects a national surge in political violence, with the DOJ reporting a 300% increase in election-related threats since 2020. New Mexico's Secretary of State recently implemented armed security details for all canvassing board members – a direct response to Peña's attacks.
Three critical insights emerge from this case:
- 92% of election officials report feeling unsafe since 2020 per Brennan Center data
- Only 18 states currently ban firearms at voting facilities
- Federal political violence prosecutions rose 64% in 2023
Peña's defense team argued the prosecution relied heavily on testimony from Demetrio and Jose Trujillo, father-son accomplices who accepted plea bargains. However, digital evidence including geolocation data and encrypted messages allegedly tied Peña directly to attack planning.
The conviction sets precedent under 18 U.S.C. § 241, which prohibits conspiring against constitutional rights. Legal analysts note this could become a template for prosecuting election-related intimidation cases nationwide.
New Mexico's political landscape shows lasting impacts, with 43% of local candidates in a recent UNM survey citing safety concerns as campaign deterrents. State legislators are now debating enhanced penalties for politically motivated crimes following this case.