A New Mexico man on Tuesday pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges, admitting he conspired to sell cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana in New Mexico between May 2011 and January 2012 and wash the proceeds. Homero Varela, 30, of Albuquerque, was arrested along with a dozen other defendants in January 2012, two months after an associate called Ramon Gonzales, Sr., was arrested while allegedly transporting marijuana and cocaine. Gonzales and the other defendants have all pleaded "not guilty" and await trial. In his plea agreement, Varela admitted he regularly used cellular telephones to facilitate the distribution of illegal drugs and related money laundering activities, prosecutors said. The plea agreement remains sealed. In October 2011 Varela deposited $40,000 in drug money into a Bank of America account controlled by Gonzales and another man, the indictment filed in the case states. Prosecutors said Varela and another man also arranged for others
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