Authorities confiscated weapons, drugs, and money in the raids. Count 1 of the indictment charges all six defendants with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. More Info. Jurez police and the Mexican military seized a huge drug load of fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine and marijuana estimated to be worth more than $60 million. Natalie Mendoza allegedly kept records of drug sales and collected proceeds from drug transactions. , VIDEO: Giant I-40 light poles sway in strong ABQ, Taxidermy birds used to make drones at New Mexico, PHOTOS: Storm leaves parts of state covered in snow, PHOTOS: Winter storm moves through NM leaving snow, PHOTOS: Storm causes snowy, icy roads across New, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Gonzales said 39 members of the group were charged in a federal indictment, and 26 have been arrested, so far. The individual was booked into the Hidalgo County Jail pending criminal prosecution. When were talking a couple of hundred pounds of marijuana, it smells, Mace said. Pitch your story to The New Mexico Sun. Breitbart Texas Robert Arce, a former law enforcement official who specialized in drug crime, reported that the Sinaloa Cartel has stepped up the production of methamphetamine and opioid-based products to offset any cash flow losses attributed to the legalization of marijuana in the United States., The Drug Enforcement Administrations most recent threat assessment ranks the Mexican drug cartels as the greatest criminal drug threat to the United States; no other group is currently positioned to challenge them., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. WATCH: Mexican marines destroyed 50 tons of meth found in a massive underground drug lab pic.twitter.com/CfdBmfk1XG. The maximum penalty on conviction is 10 years to life in prison. . window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; The woman told police Chavez bound her inside his van and told her to write a suicide note which she refused to do before choking her to unconsciousness repeatedly and bashing her head against the concrete. A drug bust in the International District last week turned up much more than dope. U.S. Customs and Border Protection's San Diego field office announced this week that the total amount of narcotics seized at Southern . The arrests this week was the culmination of a year-long investigation. February 16, 2023. Gonzales said 20 defendants were charged in the Espaola Valley, 15 of which have already been arrested.. . Were going to make sure that youre always looking over your shoulder, Vigil said about dangerous Mexican drug cartels making their way into Texas. googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/FW_Super_Leaderboard', [[300, 50], [970, 90], [300, 100], [728, 90]], 'div-gpt-ad-1668097889433-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner2).addService(googletag.pubads()); recent drug bust in new mexico 2020. scion capital letters 2020. pros and cons of going commando; how to become a teacher without a degree. Methamphetamine was found in 6,106 of the packages weighing about 17,584 pounds while the other 160 packages contained fentanyl and weighed about 388 pounds, according to authorities. An official website of the United States government. Andrea Rodriguez is charged in Counts 1 and 3. Through Operation Highspeed, which started in November 2022, the RCMP Federal Intelligence Unit in Nova Scotia seized 1.3 kg of cocaine, 2 kg of MDMA, approximately 4,000 psilocybin capsules,. Nov 18, 2022 Over half a million dollars in fentanyl, cocaine, meth seized at Texas-Mexico border U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted $578,456 worth of fentanyl, cocaine, and. Marshals Office, New Mexico Division. We will do a few operations a year, we will look at some of the biggest problems or biggest threats in the area and we will go after those but then afterward were gone, but not this time, said DEA Special Agent Kyle Williamson. Ryan Rodriguezs sister, Andrea Rodriguez, allegedly delivered drugs to customers on Ryan Rodriguezs behalf. Theyll bring amounts of this size across this border and store them in stash houses until it is large enough to move to other parts of the country, Vigil said. recent drug bust in new mexico 2020. trader joe's chocolate ganache cake LIVE; madison 56ers apparel; recent drug bust in new mexico 2020. why was carrie's sister dropped from king of queens . Overwhelming most illegal drugs get through. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. A grand jury returned an indictment against the defendants Feb. 25. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney. Hogrefe said the investigation that led to the drug bust was conducted as part of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative, a DEA-led operation designed to uproot narcotics operations throughout the state. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; BOSTON - A Weymouth man has been sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed prodigious amounts of cocaine from Puerto Rico, which he and a co-conspirator obtained via the U.S. mail. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel. Fax (505) 346-7296. Here are five of the biggest U.S.-Mexico border drug busts this year. The Dallas Sheriffs Department was contacted and confirmed extradition of the male subject. According to a story by news station KRQE, Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace said authorities were investigating a string of armed robberies in the area; the traffic stop and resulting seizure resulted because deputies were on high alert.. Cannon Air Force Base commander: 'Were excited to open up the base to the public and put a lot of things on display for folks to see', Retail theft bill blocked in New Mexico House: There is tremendous public desire to address the root causes of this crime epidemic, Mayor of Los Ranchos: 'Everybody that is here is really enjoying the matanza, especially the food', Bahadir: 'My parents, my uncle, everybody in my family the city they grew up in is leveled', Edgewood mayor: 'It is not logical to destroy a useful community center for the Edgewood people', Local deputies participate in Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge: 'I've never been in any type of physical or mental exhaustion like that'. All rights reserved. Friday, February 7th, 2020 at 12:02AM. A 29-year-old who posed as a food delivery driver and tried to smuggle illegal opioids into an Adelaide medi-hotel has . googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); To say that defense was optional would imply is was a choice. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Bridget Archuleta is charged in Counts 1, 4, 11, and 12. Marshal Service, Operation Washout is a national initiative focused on the investigation and arrest of violent fugitives with active arrest warrants, by providing an immediate-impact operational model meant to support partner agencies and provide communities with relief from violent crime. A drug bust in the International District last week turned up much more than dope. The meth was concealed in the roof of a tractor-trailer carrying imported fresh onions from Mexico. Police responded to the Mountain Run Shopping Center after Chavezs battered wife ran inside the Smiths grocery to hide from him. Lock Investigators seized 602 pounds of cocaine, 136 pounds of crystal meth, heroin, $3.7 million and 22 firearms as part of the drug bust. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Florida, Maryland and Texas. }); As an anti-prohibition activist, it is interesting that these busts are being made. Were going to be knocking on your doors soon its just a matter of time. googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); Manuel Varela. The massive bust was a collaboration between New Hampshire and Maine. Will there be a brighter ending to this legislative session? Chavezs father, Dennis Chavez, declined to comment on the charges against his son. Count 3 charges certain defendants with distribution of cocaine base. Guzman once ran a major heroin and methamphetamine operation throughout the southwest. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Jose Mendoza, 32, and Natalie Mendoza, 35, of Medanales, New Mexico, Ryan Rodriguez, 27, of Chamita, New Mexico, Andrea Rodriguez, 28, and Edvardo Carlson, 39, of Espanola, New Mexico, and Bridget Archuleta, 31, of San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico appeared in federal court today for arraignment on an indictment charging them with various drug trafficking offenses involving crack cocaine (cocaine base) in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico from Oct. 2, 2019, to Feb. 25, 2020. A major drug bust occurred in Eastland County. "And the main driving force behind this overdose epidemic is the synthetic opioid drug fentanyl." 0:51. He described one recent incident where deputies came across a group of 22 people in the desert, one of whom escaped from a prison in Ciudad Juarez and was wanted for a crime in the U.S. Five suspects also listed in the indictment, including the suspected leader of the organization, Luis Angel Briseo-Lopez, a Mexican national who may be living in Cuidad Jurez, remain at large. Amid debate over transgender rights, New Mexico House OKs New Mexico legislation would prohibit discrimination New Mexico legislation would prohibit discrimination in provision of public services on basis of gender, gender identity, Colorado State slices up Lobos; UNM is a 6 seed in league tourney, If it MUST be the NIT, UNM basketball has a plan, After bill was vetoed last year, lawmakers try again to boost pay of NM judges, Gun safe storage bill inches closer to governor's desk after winning Senate approval. Press Release. Official websites use .gov The drugs had an estimated street value of at least $181,000, according to the office. It sounds like a lot but thats just a drop in the bucket, as far as the amount of narcotics that are moving across our state, Mace said in the KRQE article. New Mexico Supreme Court: Juveniles who plead can appeal Ruling stems from the case of Christopher Rodriguez, who was sentenced as an adult to 14 years in prison for his role in the San Juan sheriff shoots dog during off-duty traffic stop, Sheriff Shane Ferrari said the dog came out of the vehicle and charged at him.