Police

Republican Lawmaker Says ‘Thugs’ Broke Into Car In Santa Fe, Calls For Tough-On-Crime Bills

by

A screenshot from a video Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, posted on X in which he says his car was broken into in Santa Fe the night of Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. Courtesy/SFNM

By DANIEL J. CHACÓN
dchacon@sfnewmexican.com

A Republican lawmaker called on the Legislature to pass tough-on-crime bills this session after he said he was the victim of a vehicle break-in in New Mexico’s capital city Friday night.

“They’re just going to continue to do this kind of crap until we say no more and no more thuggery in New Mexico,” Rep. John Block said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Saturday afternoon. Read More

FBI: Mexican National, Namiquipa Police Chief Carlos Arturo Quintana Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Trafficking Charge

by

FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced Thursday that Carlos Arturo Quintana pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana, intending and knowing that said controlled substance would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

Quintana, 41, of Namiquipa, Chihuahua, Mexico, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Read More

Pursuit In Santa Fe County Leads To Arrest Of Felon With Firearm And Narcotics

by

Courtesy/NMSP

NMSP News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) successfully apprehended a suspect following a high-speed pursuit on Interstate 25 earlier this month, resulting in the recovery of a firearm in the hands of a felon and a significant quantity of narcotics.

At around 11:30 p.m., Jan. 8, 2024, a NMSP District 1 Santa Fe officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling southbound on Interstate 25 near mile marker 261.

The car was traveling at an excessive speed on a temporary spare tire and was failing to stay in one lane.

After seeing these unsafe conditions, the officer Read More

Federal Arrests Increase 24% After 20-Year Low

by

DOJ News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Federal law enforcement agencies made 96,857 arrests during fiscal year 2022, up 24% from the 78,068 arrests in FY 2021 (the lowest number in 2 decades), the Bureau of Justice Statistics found in its new report Federal Justice Statistics, 2022.

Federal arrests had gradually risen from FY 2000 to FY 2013, before decreasing from FY 2014 to FY 2017. Arrests then increased sharply, reaching a 20-year high of 206,630 in FY 2019, before falling in FY 2020 and FY 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Immigration offenses (illegally entering or reentering the United States, Read More

New Mexico State Police Announces Statewide Warrant Round-Up Operations In 2024

by

NMPS Chief Troy Weisler

NMSP News:

STATEWIDE — The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) is set to conduct warrant round-up operations in all districts statewide in 2024. This operation is a proactive measure to apprehend individuals with outstanding warrants.

The New Mexico State Police encourages those with outstanding warrants to take this opportunity to address their legal matters voluntarily. By doing so, they can avoid unexpected visits from law enforcement to arrest them on their warrant.

“Our goal is to create a safer environment for all residents of New Mexico while ensuring accountability Read More

FBI: Farmington Man Pleads Guilty To Arson – Faces Life

by

FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Ulrick Bruce Canyon pled guilty to arson of a dwelling.

Canyon, 40, of Farmington and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.

In his plea agreement, Canyon admitted to completely burning down a residence within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation on Aug. 28, 2023. Canyon started the fire by pouring lighter fluid Read More

Year In Review: DEA Innovates To Fight Deadliest Drug Threat Country Has Ever Faced—Fentanyl

by

DEA News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration marked its 50th anniversary as the only federal agency dedicated to fighting deadly drugs and drug-related violence. 

This milestone celebrated a half century of dedication to fighting drug trafficking in the United States and around the world, which threatens the public safety, health, and national security of our country.

DEA also ushered in a transformation of DEA’s organization and strategy to meet this extraordinary moment in time as the United States confronts the deadliest drug threat our country has Read More

FBI Tech Tuesday: Beware Of ‘Check Cooking’ Scams

by

FBI News:

EL PASO, Texas — Scammers are taking advantage of technological innovations and finetuning their methods to be more successful in manipulating unsuspecting victims.

Scammers have become very good at impersonating legitimate organizations with fewer grammatical errors and other well-known red flags published by law enforcement and private entities such as Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission.

Scammers have taken check washing to a new level called “check cooking” or “check baking”. It’s much more lucrative, efficient and allows them to easily manufacture Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Finds Double Jeopardy Violation In Man’s Convictions For Armed Robbery/Aggravated Battery

by

Courtesy/NMSC

New Mexico Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE — A Cibola County man’s convictions for robbing a diner and shooting the diner’s owner violate constitutional protections against multiple punishments for a singular course of criminal conduct, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

In a unanimous opinion, the Court ordered a district court to vacate Ramon Lorenzo’s conviction for aggravated battery, but the justices left in place the conviction for armed robbery of the diner in Milan in 2013.

“We conclude that the conduct underlying both charges was unitary and that the State Read More

NMSP: Peñasco Couple Arrested For Abuse Of Newborn

by

NMSP News:

PEÑASCO — Jan. 11, the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Investigations Bureau was called to a home in Peñasco to investigate child abuse involving a newborn baby.

Agents learned that officers responded to a home in Peñasco after receiving an anonymous report that a child may be in danger. At the house, officers spoke with the mother, Darlene Gonzales, 35, and her husband, Ronald Gonzales, 40.

Darlene told officers she had given birth to a baby boy Jan. 10 in the living room of the home. A doctor had not examined the baby, and the baby had not received any medical care. Officers noticed the baby Read More