District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man is facing federal charges for allegedly attacking another man with a machete.

According to court documents, on March 26, 2026, an argument broke out between Ronnie Shack, 25, an enrolled member of the Zuni Tribe, and another individual at Shack’s residence in Zuni, New Mexico. As the victim left the residence, Shack allegedly followed him and attacked him with a machete, slashing his back and pursuing him down the street. Neighbors called 911 and the victim was transported to a local hospital before being transferred to a regional hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Shack is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault causing serious bodily injury in Indian country. He will remain on conditions of release pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Shack faces up to 20 years in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Prewitt woman pleaded guilty to stabbing a man during a dispute.

According to court documents, on January 6, 2026, Naomi Martinez, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, kicked and stabbed John Doe in the face, head and neck with a kitchen knife, causing serious bodily harm.

Martinez pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Navajo Nation man is facing a federal murder charge for killing his father with a baseball bat.

According to court documents, between December 28, 2024, and January 14, 2025, David Barney, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, killed John Doe by hitting him in the head with a baseball bat. After hitting Doe, Barney wrapped Doe in blankets, placed him in a wheelbarrow, and rolled him to a nearby location, where he left Doe’s body until it was discovered by Doe’s family on February 1, 2025.

Barney is charged with second-degree murder. He will remain in federal custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of this charge, Barney faces up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case. 

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Church Rock woman has been charged federally for assaulting another woman.

On September 10, 2025, Tiffany Jim, 37, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted Jane Doe, her dating partner, resulting in Doe’s hospitalization.

Jim is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault of a dating partner resulting in substantial bodily injury. She will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Jim faces up to 15 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting the case. 

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was sentenced to 96 months in prison for firing a shotgun into an occupied vehicle and seriously injuring a passenger.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents on March 20, 2025, Shane Austin Loretto, 32, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, fired a shotgun at the car John Doe was a passenger in, with intent to do bodily harm. John Doe was hit in the face and neck with multiple pellets and required medical treatment.

Law enforcement tied Loretto to the shooting through witness statements and subsequently located the shotgun and ammunition in a safe inside a shed adjacent to Loretto’s residence. During a subsequent interview, Loretto claimed he had heard about the shooting but did not know where the gunshot came from.

Loretto pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Loretto will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Two illegal immigrants have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy involving the hostage-taking, harboring, and transportation of victims at an Albuquerque stash house.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on November 2, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations received a report that a mother and her two daughters, aged six and nine, were being held for ransom at an Albuquerque stash house in southeast Albuquerque. Despite the victims’ family having already paid over $30,000 to have them smuggled into the United States, Marcelo Alonso-Almaraz, 36, and his wife Eloisa Almaraz-Vasquez, 38, both Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States, demanded an additional $6,000 for their release. All three victims reported that Alonso-Almaraz threatened the mother with a firearm by pointing it at her to ensure payment. 

On November 3, 2022, investigators conducted surveillance on the stash house and observed Alonso-Almaraz and Almaraz-Vasquez exit the residence with the mother and children and enter a Dodge van. Agents maintained continuous surveillance of the van until it arrived at a meet location, where an undercover agent exchanged $6,000 in cash for the safe release of the mother and her daughters. Once the victims were secured, law enforcement moved in and arrested the couple. A search of the van yielded the loaded handgun on the driver-side floorboard and the $6,000 in extortion money.

Following the arrests, the rescued mother detailed a harrowing ordeal where victims were housed in a 1,000 square foot apartment with dozens of other people, stripped of their phones, and fed only twice a day. She described hearing her children’s stomachs rumbling from hunger and being forced to wash dishes and serve food to dozens of other occupants in exchange for extra food for her daughters. The rooms were so crowded that the victims could not lie down and were forced to sit on the floor with their legs curled in. On November 4, 2022, agents returned to the stash house and rescued approximately 50 additional victims, including an infant, who were being held in the same volatile environment.

Alonso-Almaraz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens, eight counts of harboring illegal aliens for financial gain, three counts of transporting illegal aliens for financial gain, and conspiracy to commit hostage taking, three counts of hostage taking, and reentry of a removed alien. Alonso-Almaraz was sentenced to 204 months in prison. Upon his release from prison, he will be subject to deportation.

Almaraz-Vasquez pled guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens, eight counts of harboring illegal aliens for financial gain, three counts of transporting illegal aliens for financial gain, conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and three counts of hostage taking. Almaraz-Vasquez was sentenced to 120 months in prison. Upon her release from prison, she will be subject to deportation.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan G. McRae of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today.

Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department and Albuquerque Police Department VICE Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Moghadam and Patrick E. Cordova are prosecuting the case. 

The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha, the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking that cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations commit. A highly successful partnership between the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, Office of International Affairs and Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney detailees from the Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas; Southern District of California; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and Districts of Arizona, New Mexico and Vermont. JTFA also partners with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE-HSI and Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 440 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 390 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. 

ALBUQUERQUE – An Ohaky Owingeh man pleaded guilty to assaulting a victim in 2019. 

According to court documents, on August 28, 2019, Ashkia Trujillo, 31, and enrolled member of the Ohkay Owingeh Tribe, assaulted Jane Doe and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.

Trujillo pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pled guilty to assaulting and strangling a victim.

According to court documents, on October 23, 2025, Lance Marion Cojo, 39, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted and strangled Jane Doe during an argument.

Cojo pleaded guilty to assault and faces up to five years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dickens is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Silver City man pleaded guilty in federal court to a series of crimes committed between June 2024 and March 2025 that escalated from unlawful firearm possession to armed robbery and a violent carjacking.

According to court documents, on June 25, 2024, Silver City police officers responded to a residence following reports that Dominic Carbajal, 26, was possibly armed. Carbajal was detained and during a subsequent search, officers found a loaded magazine in his pocket and recovered a stolen pistol loaded with a 32-round magazine. Carbajal, a convicted felon, later admitted he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Roughly seven months later, on January 22, 2025, officers responded to an armed robbery at a local nutrition store. Surveillance video showed Carbajal selecting merchandise and leaving without paying. When the store owner attempted to stop the theft, Carbajal brandished a handgun and ordered the owner to back away before fleeing with the stolen items. Carbajal later admitted using the threat of the firearm to complete the theft.

On March 23, 2025, Carbajal committed a violent carjacking in a remote parking lot. According to court records, Carbajal approached a man sitting in a pickup truck, demanded the keys, and repeatedly struck the victim with his fists and a metal bar or pipe when the victim refused. The victim suffered head injuries and was bleeding during the assault. Carbajal then threatened to shoot the victim, causing him to surrender his truck and personal property, including his wallet, phone, and jewelry. Carbajal later admitted that he intended to cause serious bodily injury in order to obtain the vehicle.

Officers later tracked the stolen vehicle to a residence where Carbajal was reportedly seen. As officers attempted to arrest him, Carbajal allegedly released two pit bulls to attack law enforcement and fled on foot, discarding his clothing as he ran. He was ultimately subdued with a Taser and taken into custody. Officers reported signs of opioid intoxication, and Carbajal allegedly admitted he had used “powder” when asked if he had taken fentanyl.

Carbajal pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by threats or violence, being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, and carjacking and faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Silver City Police Department and Grant County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dickens is prosecuting the case. 

Albuquerque, NM - Today, F.A. United States Attorney Ryan Ellison and Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced the filing of a federal civil forfeiture complaint seeking to forfeit more than $2 million that was seized due to allegations that the assets constitute proceeds of a scheme to defraud Medicaid and state criminal charges against an additional defendant. These actions in federal and state court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.

The federal civil forfeiture action stems from an alleged scheme by Safeway Medical Transportation LLC, a New Mexico non-emergency medical transportation provider, to fraudulently bill the New Mexico Medicaid program for transportation services. According to the complaint, Safeway received Medicaid reimbursements for claims in which Safeway drivers were allegedly billing Medicaid for driving themselves to appointments and for trips that did not occur, engaging in other fraudulent billing practices, including duplicate trips, inflated mileage, and falsified transportation records. The complaint seeks forfeiture of more than $2 million in seized funds that are alleged to be proceeds of health care fraud and money laundering.

In a separate criminal case, the New Mexico Department of Justice charged a McKinley County man with multiple felony offenses after allegedly using forged prescriptions to obtain Schedule II controlled substances from a pharmacy. The charges include acquiring controlled substances by misrepresentation, forgery, and violations of the Controlled Substances Act.

"Fraud does not have to be sophisticated to be devastating,” said F.A. United States Attorney Ryan Ellison. “When healthcare providers build a business model around false claims and fabricated records, they are stealing directly from the public programs that vulnerable communities rely on. We will use every tool at our disposal to trace these funds, dismantle these operations, and claw back every dollar stolen from the public."

“These cases reflect my Office's ongoing commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded health care programs, safeguarding public resources, and holding accountable those who exploit medical systems for personal gain,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Through our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies, we continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute health care fraud, prescription drug fraud, and related financial crimes.”

The charges announced today by F.A. United States Attorney Ellison and Attorney General Torrez are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.   

Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: 

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.

Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.

The District of New Mexico, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the New Mexico Department of Justice Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU).

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

These cases were investigated by the NMDOJ’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau (MFEAB). The New Mexico MFEAB receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $3,623,761.71 for federal fiscal year 2026. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,207,920.57 for fiscal year 2026, is funded by the State of New Mexico.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty to federal charges for aiming a laser pointer at a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office helicopter and striking the cockpit over a dozen times.

According to public court documents, on October 7, 2025, Jorge Pinon Armendariz, 48, aimed a green laser pointer at the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Metro 1 helicopter while it was flying over Albuquerque. Armendariz struck the aircraft multiple times from two separate locations, including multiple strikes to the pilot’s eyes.

Using the aircraft’s onboard camera, the crew tracked the laser beam first to a vehicle in the McDonald’s drive-thru and later to the nearby residence. Ground deputies responded to the residence, and Armendariz fled the scene. Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies subsequently identified Armendariz as the individual who aimed the laser at Metro 1 that night.

At the time of the incident, Armendariz had an active state warrant for violating conditions of pretrial release in a state case allegedly involving receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance. 

At sentencing, Armendariz faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jena Ritchey is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Navajo man is facing federal charges for burning down a dwelling.

According to court documents, on May 13, 2026, Rashaan McMillan, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, set fire to and burned down the dwelling of John Doe and Jane Doe.

McMillan is charged with arson of a dwelling and will remain in federal custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, McMillan faces up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case. 

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – Three people in Farmington are accused of participating in a drug trafficking organization after investigators seized cocaine, methamphetamine, firearms, ammunition and thousands of dollars in suspected drug proceeds.

According to court records, on June 9, 2026, federal agents and members of the Region II Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant at a Farmington residence occupied by Alex Scott Rowland, 18, Marco Antonio Villegas Avilez, 46, and Karyle Leanne Rowland, 65. During the search, agents recovered multiple firearms, including AK and AR style rifles, a short barreled rifle, handguns, a machine gun conversion device, approximately 430 grams of cocaine, suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, mushrooms, ammunition, and approximately $14,700 in cash.

Alex Rowland, Villegas Avilez and Karyle Rowland are charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, the defendants face five to 20 years in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Region II Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case. 

This case was brought forth through FBI’s Operation Steadfast Promise which is a comprehensive surge of resources to address a wide range of violent crime threats including gangs and criminal enterprises, violent crimes against children, and fugitive apprehension cases while working to improve public safety in Tribal communities.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man was sentence to 18 months in prison for stealing merchandise from a Lowe's store and threatening an employee with a firearm when confronted.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on January 24, 2025, Saul Gonzalez, 36, stole several pairs of work gloves from a Lowe’s Home Improvement store in Las Cruces, New Mexico. After store employees confronted him about the unpaid merchandise, Gonzalez brandished a derringer-style firearm, causing an employee to fear for their safety. Gonzalez then left the store with the stolen items and fled in a white Dodge van accompanied by a female associate.

On February 2, 2025, Las Cruces Police Department officers located the van and conducted a traffic stop as part of the armed robbery investigation. Gonzalez and the female occupant denied involvement in the incident. A subsequent search of the vehicle pursuant to a state search warrant uncovered clothing matching what Gonzalez wore during the robbery, black latex gloves consistent with those seen in photographs from the incident, and the stolen Mechanix-brand work gloves with their tags still attached.

Gonzalez pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by threats or violence. Upon his release from prison, Gonzalez will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department. The Las Cruces Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE — The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Spring Cleaning, a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the FBI to combat gang-related threats and enhance public safety. The operation coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement and targeted the illegal flow of firearms and narcotics in our communities. The operation began on March 1 and ended May 31.

In total, Operation Spring Cleaning led to over 1100 arrests, over 600 charges filed, and almost 600 search warrants conducted. The operation also resulted in the seizure of:

• Almost 1000 illegal firearms, dozens of which were equipped with machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) as well as over 75 stand-alone MCDs;
• Over 2,700 pounds of illegal narcotics including
• Over 500 kilograms of cocaine or more than 1100 pounds,
• Nearly 700 pounds of methamphetamine, 
• Over 550 pounds of marijuana, 
• Nearly 50 kilograms of fentanyl or more than 100 pounds,
• Almost 40 kilograms of heroin or more than 85 pounds,
• More than 7 kilograms of crack cocaine or more than 16 pounds, and
• More than 13,200 pills of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly.

The operation also resulted in significant enforcement actions in the District of New Mexico. Federal prosecutors charged Lucas Maldonado with drug trafficking and firearms offenses after he allegedly supplied nearly five pounds of methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement officers and was later found in possession of fentanyl, firearms, and ammunition. In a separate case, Pete Kimbell was charged in federal court after allegedly selling multiple firearms and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement officer. Additionally, Crisantos Garcia was charged with federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses following an FBI investigation into an alleged scheme to provide weapons to an inmate seeking to escape from custody.

“When our neighborhoods are safe from the scourge of deadly drugs, individuals and families can prosper,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Trump Administration has made significant progress in removing this poison from our streets, a key step in our commitment to making America safe again.”

“This FBI understands that communities across our country have been ravaged by gangs and the firearms and narcotics they flood our streets with,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Spring Cleaning represents our total commitment to crushing this kind of violent crime and eliminating the criminal networks who facilitate them – with over 1,000 arrests, 1,000 firearms seized, and 3,000 pounds of narcotics removed from our neighborhoods. Righteous operations like this show this FBI is only getting started and will continue delivering the most prolific run of crime reduction in U.S. history.”

An Albuquerque, New Mexico man is in custody on federal charges for allegedly damaging religious property during back-to-back attacks at two local Jewish facilities.

According to court documents, on June 2, Rex Crofton, 25, targeted two Jewish community facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during a series of motivated attacks. At approximately 4:31 PM, Crofton arrived at Congregation Albert in a silver sedan. He exited the vehicle and used a tool to shatter the synagogue’s glass entry doors. After “flipping off” the building and shouting an indecipherable statement, he fled the scene. Roughly eight minutes later, at 4:39 PM, Crofton arrived at the Jewish Community Center (JCC). Surveillance footage captured him running to the front doors and repeatedly striking them with a metal tool appearing to be a crowbar. When JCC security guards approached and pursued him, Crofton threw the tool into his passenger window. A security guard managed to pepper spray Crofton through the window before Crofton sped out of the busy parking lot. The incident forced the JCC to issue an emergency closure, disrupting camp pickup and alarming numerous witnesses.

Following the attacks, Crofton sent threatening text messages to a family friend, boasting, “... I just hit two synagogues in 5 minutes,” and stating he would love to kill any police officers who intervened. Law enforcement tracked Crofton to an Albuquerque residence, where he surrendered and was arrested on June 3, by the Albuquerque Police Department. A subsequent federal search warrant executed on his residence and vehicles uncovered the crowbar-like wrecking bar used in the attack, the clothing he wore, a revolver, high-capacity magazines, various other weapons including a machete and brass knuckles, and a torn Ukrainian flag defaced with a drawn swastika.

Crofton is charged with damage to religious property. If convicted of the current charge, the defendant faces up to three years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico, and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tavo Hall and Meg Melick for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the New Mexico Supreme Court and the New Mexico Board of Bar Examiners, alleging that they violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by refusing to recognize the out-of-state law licenses of qualifying servicemembers and their spouses.

“The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act gives servicemembers and their spouses the right to have their covered out-of-state law licenses recognized in a state where they have relocated due to military orders,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “State supreme courts and bar associations in other states should take note of this lawsuit and come into full compliance with the SCRA immediately, or risk a lawsuit by the Department of Justice.”

“New Mexico is the proud home of four major military installations and more than 14,000 active-duty servicemembers. Our military servicemembers and their families bear great burdens to protect our Nation, including frequent moves and interruptions or barriers to employment,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “In fact, spousal unemployment is a leading cause of servicemembers leaving military service and is a significant readiness and retention issue. This lawsuit highlights the fact that license portability is a critical tool for our military spouses to be able to earn a living in the manner of their choosing.”

The complaint alleges that the New Mexico Supreme Court and Board of Bar Examiners refused to allow a military spouse to practice as an attorney in New Mexico after his wife was transferred to Holloman Air Force Base. As a result, the military spouse, who is licensed to practice law in the states of Texas, Washington and Maryland, was unable to accept a higher-paying position at the Las Cruces District Attorney’s Office. The complaint also alleges that New Mexico imposes requirements on military applicants that exceed what is allowed by the SCRA, by requiring them to provide transcripts, test scores, and references and to submit to a full character and fitness evaluation.

The Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $489 million in monetary relief for over 152,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.

Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Crownpoint man was sentence to 42 months in prison for strangling a woman and attacking a tribal police officer with a taser.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Jason K. Thompson, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, attempted to strangle Jane Doe. Law enforcement responded to the domestic violence call and attempted to take Thompson into custody. During a struggle with a Navajo Nation Police Department officer, Thompson grabbed the officer’s taser and deployed it against him with the intent to injure him. Thompson was then handcuffed and placed in the back of an NPD patrol unit. He later kicked out a window of the unit and escaped, but NPD officers recaptured him that night.

Thompson pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and assault with a deadly weapon. Upon his release from prison, Thompson will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man is facing federal child abuse charges after allegedly confronting an adult and two minors outside a residence with a pistol and attempting to force his way into the home while the victims barricaded the door with their bodies.

According to court documents from May 8, 2026, Andrew Fredrick Gunhammer, 26, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, approached an adult and two minors outside a residence in Dulce, New Mexico, pulled a pistol from his backpack, and began to load it with a magazine. The adult and minors ran into the residence and used their bodies to block the door when Gunhammer attempted to force entry. A fourth person inside the house told Gunhammer to leave because they were calling the police. Gunhammer fled to another residence on the same street.

Officers from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department arrived at a separate residence that Gunhammer fled to and took him into custody. Inside the residence, officers located the backpack in a bedroom and the pistol with one chambered round under a mattress. Inside the backpack, officers located several rounds of different ammunition and drug paraphernalia.

Gunhammer is charged with child abuse and will remain in federal custody pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Gunhammer faces three years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case. 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona woman was sentenced to one year in prison for a 2023 drunk driving crash that seriously injured two people.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents on December 30, 2023, Shaina Shorty, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, drove while intoxicated and crashed into a vehicle occupied by Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2. As a result of the crash, both Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 sustained serious bodily injuries.

Shorty pleaded guilty to two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Upon her release from prison, Shorty will be subject to two years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Twin Lakes man is facing federal charges for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a minor.

According to court documents, between on or about September 9, 2021, and on or about October 6, 2023, Donovan Tom Sherman, 51, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual acts with a minor who had not then attained the age of 12 years.

Sherman is charged with aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact and will remain on conditions of release pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Sherman faces not less than 30 years and up to life in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Lake Valley woman is facing federal child abuse charges after allegedly endangering two children by driving while impaired, resulting in one child’s death and severe injuries to the other.

According to court documents, on March 25, 2023, Marietta Begay, 50, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, placed two minors in a situation that endangered their lives by operating a vehicle while under the influence.  Her conduct resulted in one minor’s death and caused great bodily harm to the second.

Begay is charged with abuse of a child resulting in death and abandonment and abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm and will remain on conditions of release pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Begay faces a minimum of 18 years in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Hogback man pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses after a violent altercation involving a firearm leaves a woman injured.

According to court documents, on June 19, 2025, Renaldo Descheny, 43, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted Jane Doe by strangling her and striking her in the face with a firearm. The assault resulted in a laceration requiring hospital treatment. 

Descheny pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and faces not less than five years and up life in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE - F.A. United States Attorney Ryan Ellison is encouraging local leaders in Albuquerque and Las Cruces to pursue funding through the Department of Justice's Model City Initiative, a new public safety grant program that will provide up to $300 million to support crime reduction and community safety efforts in a select number of cities nationwide.

Under the initiative, the Department of Justice will award approximately $300 million in public safety funding to two to four cities with populations of more than 100,000. Depending on the number of jurisdictions selected, participating cities could receive between $75 million and $150 million to strengthen public safety infrastructure and enhance crime prevention, intervention, and enforcement efforts.

Eligible funding may be used to support a wide range of public safety initiatives, including:

• Recruitment and retention of personnel in law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, detention facilities, and community-based organizations engaged in prevention, accountability, and reintegration efforts;
• Acquisition of equipment, technology, and facilities, including forensic and DNA analysis tools, body-worn cameras, license plate readers, drones, counter-drone technology, ballistic identification systems, and real-time crime centers;
• Mental health and substance use services, including crisis intervention teams, outpatient and residential treatment programs, and recovery support services;
• Victim services, including emergency assistance, temporary housing, and employment support; and
• Youth crime prevention and intervention programs that address risk factors associated with juvenile delinquency and violence, including gang intervention and suppression initiatives and case management services.

“The stakes are too high for Albuquerque and Las Cruces to pass up this historic public safety funding opportunity. I strongly encourage leaders in both cities to submit competitive applications. There’s no reason that Albuquerque and Las Cruces cannot work with the Federal Government to crack down on violent crime and enhance public safety. I’m extending a hand of partnership to these cities, and I stand ready to advocate on their behalf in Washington.”

Cities will apply through a whole-of-city approach. That means that city leaders, including the mayor, sheriff, county prosecutor, and others will work together to submit one application that proposes a persuasive vision of how this money can be awarded strategically throughout their city to improve law enforcement engagement, victim services, detention and reentry services, and preventive programs.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Bloomfield man has been charged with second degree murder after allegedly fatally stabbing a man during an argument.

According to court documents, on May 20, 2026, Seviano Kee, 18, and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed John Doe with a kitchen knife during an argument, killing him. 

Kee is charged with second degree murder and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Kee faces up to life in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case. 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – Three New Mexico men have been charged with operating a years’ long scheme to fraudulently obtain and sell New Mexico elk hunting tags to out of state hunters and conceal the proceeds from the IRS.

According to public court documents, from approximately 2019 through 2022, Danial Adair, 44, Daniel Nicolds, 57, and his brother Lary Nicolds, 59, allegedly operated a scheme through Big Horn Outfitters in which they fraudulently obtained New Mexico elk tags through the state resident draw system and transferred them to out of state hunters in exchange for payment, along with outfitting and guiding services.

The indictment alleges the defendants created fictitious hunter accounts, used false identifying information, and paid draw fees with prepaid debit cards to unlawfully secure resident elk tags. Prosecutors further allege they submitted fraudulent medical transfer requests and supporting documents, including fake doctor notes and forged agreements, to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in order to transfer tags to out of state clients. The defendants are also alleged to have concealed the scheme through the use of prepaid debit cards, alternate email accounts, and false tax reporting while guiding hunts and facilitating the transport of harvested elk across state lines.

“As a hunter, I know it’s extraordinarily difficult for New Mexico residents to draw elk tags,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “In fact, many New Mexicans who apply annually wait years—sometimes decades—to draw a coveted tag and win the opportunity to fill their freezer with elk. Fraudsters who illegally rig the system and make it more difficult for New Mexicans to hunt elk in their own state will be aggressively prosecuted and held fully accountable.” 

“This case is a testament to what federal law enforcement can accomplish when we work together across jurisdictions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. “Our office joined forces with our colleagues in the District of New Mexico to dismantle a scheme that has cheated honest hunters and corrupted public resources, according to the charges. Those who rig the system for profit will be held accountable, no matter where the investigation leads."

“We work closely with our state partners to investigate wildlife crimes that cross state lines and violate federal wildlife laws” said Doug Ault, Assistant Director for the Office of Law Enforcement at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  “These collaborative investigations will continue in New Mexico and across the country to ensure that legal hunters have fair access to licensing opportunities and are not disadvantaged by individuals who exploit public resources for their own profit. These efforts support the conservation and responsible stewardship of our nation’s wildlife resources.”

“Outdoorsmen are some of our nation’s greatest stewards of natural resources and the laws and finances that govern them, but even among the best of us are criminals that steal at the expense of those abiding the laws,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “IRS-CI is devoted to rooting out fraud in whatever form it takes: whether it’s fraud against the hunters of New Mexico or tax fraud against the United States, IRS-CI will find and prosecute you.”     

“It is great to see the joint effort from these agencies in combating wildlife crime,” said Colonel Tim Cimbal. “It has and continues to produce excellent results in stopping violators from stealing the wildlife held in public trust.” 

Adair, Danial and Lary are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and violate the Lacey Act, five counts of wire fraud, and five counts of violations of the Lacey Act. Adair and Danial are additionally charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico, Acting U.S. Attorney

John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas, Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office and Colonel Tim Cimbal of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish made the announcement today.

This case was jointly investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, IRS Criminal Investigation and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson of the Southern District of Texas and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher McNair of the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case. 

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A federal grand jury in the District of New Mexico returned a superseding indictment charging Wilfrido Saenz, 29; Ignacio Jaramillo, 22; and his brother, Ismael Jaramillo, 35, all of New Mexico, for their roles in a scheme to transport aliens and later murder a witness to that crime.

According to court documents, between June 2021 and April 2024, Saenz, Ignacio Jaramillo, and Ismael Jaramillo conspired to transport illegal aliens. Saenz and Ignacio Jaramillo are also charged with conspiracy to kill a witness in April 2024 in retaliation for providing law enforcement information about the scheme to transport illegal aliens.

“The superseding indictment in this case highlights the dangers associated with human smuggling,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The criminal networks engaging in this do not care about the people they are smuggling. They only care about money and themselves. They endanger lives and will commit heinous crimes if they believe their network has been exposed and their livelihood is on the line. Through Joint Task Force Alpha working with the District of New Mexico, DOJ will prosecute this case to the end with the victims at the forefront of seeking justice.” 

“Human smuggling operations fuel violence, exploit vulnerable people, and threaten the safety of communities on both sides of the border,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “The allegations in this case reflect the ruthless nature of these criminal organizations and the lengths they are willing to go to protect their operations. Alongside our dedicated law enforcement partners, our office remains unwavering in our commitment to disrupt these networks and hold those who orchestrate them fully accountable.”

“Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) efforts to dismantle human smuggling organizations directly enhance public safety by disrupting criminal networks that endanger lives and exploit vulnerable individuals,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan McRae of the HSI El Paso Field Office. “By targeting those who profit from illegal smuggling, HSI protects communities from associated violence and criminal activity, ensuring safer neighborhoods. HSI will not tolerate individuals who attempt to obstruct justice or intimidate those who cooperate with law enforcement.”

“The charges announced today send a clear message: individuals who engage in organized criminal activity, exploit vulnerable people, or resort to violence to obstruct justice will face the full weight of the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to community safety, combating violent crime, and bringing justice to victim's families.”

Saenz, Ignacio Jaramillo, and Ismael Jaramillo are charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens while Saenz and Ignacio Jaramillo are charged with conspiracy to retaliate against a witness resulting in her death. If convicted of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, Saenz and Ignacio and Ismael Jaramillo each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. If convicted of conspiracy to retaliate against a witness, Saenz and Ignacio Jaramillo face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Saenz and Ignacio Jaramillo are also charged with two counts each of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Saenz had previously been convicted of alien smuggling, fraudulently obtaining a motor vehicle, and possession of drug paraphernalia, among other offenses. Ignacio Jaramillo was previously convicted in New Mexico of aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony and aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, a fourth-degree felony. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy Castellano and Maria Armijo for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case.

These charges and prosecution are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), IRS Criminal Investigation, Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.

The investigation and indictment were supported by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 458 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 408 U.S. convictions; and more than 357 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Romanian national who participated in a large-scale fraud scheme that used fake business websites to steal more than $1.8 million from consumers across the country is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on June 4, 2026, at 9:40 a.m. in Las Cruces.

In his plea agreement, Claudiu Pesteleu, 44, a Romanian national illegally present in the United States, admitted that from May 2023 through June 2024, he participated in a nationwide fraud scheme that used fake websites impersonating legitimate businesses to trick victims into wiring money for various consumer products, including cars and equipment. Victims believed they were making legitimate purchases, but the funds were instead directed to bank accounts associated with shell companies created using fake passports and other fraudulent identity documents.

Pesteleu, whose role in the scheme was to help conceal the fraudulently obtained money, obtained fake identity documents and used them to establish sham businesses. He then opened bank accounts for these shell companies using the fraudulent documents. These shell companies and aliases included Zammer Equipment LLC (Matthias Zammer), Super Exotic Deals LLC (Samuel Der Saar), Premier E. Liquidators LLC (Fred Laport), Adler Pre Owned LLC (Boris Adler), Bittman Motors LLC (Fritz Bittman), Nikkos Cargo LLC (Nikos Adonis), and Becker Automotive LLC (Karl Becker). Pesteleu also used the alias Thomas Muller. Consumers were directed to wire funds to accounts associated with these entities, believing they were purchasing legitimate goods.

In total, approximately $1.8 million in fraudulently obtained funds was wired by victims to bank accounts controlled by Pesteleu. Pesteleu then conducted numerous financial transactions with the money to conceal the source of the funds and hinder law enforcement efforts to identify the scheme and seize the proceeds.

At the June 4 hearing, the parties are expected to present a revised plea agreement that stipulates a sentence of 30 to 39 months of imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Robert C. Brack will determine whether to accept the agreement and sentence Pesteleu in accordance with its terms.

If you believe you were a victim of Pesteleu, please contact the Homeland Security Investigations tip line at 866-347-2423.

If you would like to attend the sentencing hearing, please contact Victim Specialist Jacquie Gutierrez at (575) 522-2304 before the hearing date for more information.

Homeland Security Investigations Deming investigated this case with assistance from the Gainesville, Florida Police Department. Las Cruces Criminal Chief Richard Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Navajo Nation woman pleaded guilty to shooting and seriously injuring a man in 2024.

According to court documents, on November 17, 2024, Beverleta Tayah, 54, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted John Doe at a residence on the Navajo Nation after she armed herself with a handgun and shot John Doe in the chest causing serious bodily injury.

Tayah pleaded guilty to two federal felony offenses—Assault resulting in serious bodily injury and Assault with a dangerous weapon, each of which carries up to 10 years in prison at sentencing. Tayah will also be subject to up to three years of supervised release following any prison sentence, as well as victim restitution for monetary expenses encountered by the victim that are directly related to Tayah’s criminality.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man is facing federal charges for an assault that allegedly occurred in 2024.

According to court documents, on November 9, 2024, Russell Lee Saunders, Sr., 45, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted and seriously injured John Doe.

Saunders is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in third party custody pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Saunders faces up to 10 years in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting the case. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A fugitive who lived for more than 40 years under the stolen identity of a deceased Arkansas man pleaded guilty to federal identity theft, passport fraud, and firearms offenses.

According to court documents, Stephen Craig Campbell, 73, assumed the identity of Walter Lee Coffman, who died in 1975 at the age of 22, just months after graduating from the University of Arkansas with an engineering degree in the early 1980s. Campbell first applied for a U.S. passport in Coffman’s name in 1984 and renewed it multiple times, always submitting his own photograph and current address. In 1995, he obtained a replacement Social Security card in Coffman’s name. Around 2003, he purchased property in Weed, New Mexico, under Coffman’s identity and continued renewing the fraudulent passport in 2005 and 2015.

On September 4, 2019, Campbell knowingly presented a fraudulent U.S. passport bearing the name “Walter Coffman” to a New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division employee in Cloudcroft. He used the passport to renew a New Mexico driver’s license in Coffman’s name, knowing it was not legitimate. He continued to possess the fraudulent passport until it was seized on February 19, 2025.

Campbell also admitted that he knowingly possessed a Social Security card not lawfully issued to him with the intent to defraud the United States. In 1992, he contacted the Social Security Administration in an attempt to remove Coffman’s death record. On October 15, 1995, he fraudulently applied for and received a replacement Social Security card in Coffman’s name. Using this identity, he applied for and received Social Security Title II Retirement Insurance Benefits beginning in 2015, ultimately receiving approximately $140,000 in fraudulent government benefits.

On February 19, 2025, during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Weed, New Mexico, Campbell was in possession of a loaded rifle. He eventually set the weapon down after repeated commands from law enforcement. A search of the property recovered a total of 57 firearms and a large quantity of ammunition. Campbell acknowledged he was a fugitive from justice at the time and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms. 

Campbell has an outstanding 1983 warrant from Wyoming for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Attempted First-Degree Murder. In 1982, he allegedly planted an explosive device at the home of his estranged wife’s boyfriend. The device detonated when his wife opened it, causing her to lose a finger and suffer additional injuries, while also starting a fire that damaged the residence and a neighboring unit.

Campbell was arrested on February 19, 2025, after a standoff in which he was observed armed and partially concealed. He had been on the U.S. Marshals Most Wanted List for over 40 years.

Campbell pleaded guilty to misuse of a passport, possession of false papers to defraud U.S., aggravated identity theft, and being a fugitive from justice in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He faces 12 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the SSA OIG Emma Boston made the announcement today.

This case was co-investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. It was originally initiated by the Diplomatic Security’s El Paso Resident Office and the National Passport Center’s Fraud Prevention Unit. Enforcement assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, as well as the Otero County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara Nevarez Cobos.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man pleaded guilty to federal charges of assault by a habitual offender for strangling and suffocating a woman after previously being convicted at least twice in tribal court for assault offenses.

According to court documents, on April 3, 2025, Tyler Vigil, 32, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, assaulted Jane Doe by strangling and suffocating her. Vigil has at least two prior convictions in Indian tribal court for assault.

Vigil pleaded guilty to assault by a habitual offender and faces up to five years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Pahl is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. 

In the two-week period ending May 29, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 166 individuals were charged with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 7 individuals were charged with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 168 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 129 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. 

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for sexual misconduct with a minor, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, burglary, drug trafficking, money laundering, aggravated DUI, aggravated carjacking, alien smuggling, DUI and prior immigration offenses.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. 

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has been charged in federal court for allegedly sexually abusing a minor.

According to court documents, between March 2013 and March 2015, Anthony Kaamasee, 40, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, engaged in sexual acts with a minor who had not then attained the age of 12 years.

Kaamasee is charged with aggravated sexual abuse and will remain in custody pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Kaamasee faces not less than 30 years in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – Three inmates accused of violently attacking a correction officer assisting the U.S. Marshals Service at the Doña Ana County Detention Center have been charged federally after the officer was beaten unconscious and tased during a 22 second assault.

According to court documents, on May 11, 2026, John Doe was assisting the U.S. Marshal Service as a correction officer at the Doña Ana County Detention Center when he walked up the stairs to the top level to monitor six inmates who were supposed to be locked in their cells, including a federal inmate whom John Doe was required to observe and monitor on behalf of the U.S. Marshal Service. At the top of the stairs, however, John Doe was met by inmates Juan Gabriel Torres, Sergio Seanez, and Titus Josiah McGaw Bulger, who were not allowed to be in that location, or anywhere else on the second floor. When John Doe reached the top of the stairs, Torres lunged at him and tried to punch him, but Doe was able to duck and evade the strike. Seanez and Bulger then attacked John Doe, punching and bringing him to the ground. Seanez held John Doe down while Torres and Bulger punched, kicked and stomped on John Doe’s body, head and neck, causing John Doe to lose consciousness. The three inmates then continued to strike John Doe, even though he was unconscious and no longer responding. Finally, Torres unholstered John Doe’s taser and tased his unconscious body.

The attack lasted approximately 22 seconds, during which time the defendants punched him approximately 3o times and kicked him approximately 15 times before additional guards entered the housing pod in response to the assault.

John Doe was immediately provided with medical care and transported to the hospital. He survived the attack and eventually regained consciousness.

Torres, Seanez and Bulger are charged with assault involving a dangerous weapon and the infliction of bodily injury on a person assisting officers of the United States and will remain in federal custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, all three men face up to 20 years in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Doña Ana County Detention Center, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Las Cruces Police Department Task Force Officers. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Grant Gardner and Mark Saltman are prosecuting the case. 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Fruitland man pleaded guilty to second degree murder after driving drunk at 107 miles per hour and crashing into an oncoming vehicle, killing the driver.

According to court documents, on December 9, 2024, Timothy Begay, 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving drunk when he crossed the center line and hit a car driving the opposite direction, killing the driver. At the time of the crash, Begay was driving 107 MPH. Medical records showed that he has a blood alcohol level of .239.

Begay pleaded guilty to second degree murder and faces up 15 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted an El Paso man of coordinating an alien smuggling operation that brought individuals, including an unaccompanied minor, from Mexico into the United States through southern New Mexico and Texas.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in March 2024, Juan Gomez Montiel, 32, coordinated the smuggling of a material witness from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, into the United States for $2,200. Gomez Montiel arranged for the witness to work with a Juárez based smuggler known as “Polo,” who transported the witness to a stash house in Juárez and later guided the witness to a hole cut into the border fence near Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico. After the witness illegally crossed into the United States with a foot guide on April 5, 2024, the witness was transported to a tire shop in El Paso, Texas, where Gomez Montiel met them, asked whether the trip had gone smoothly, and paid the foot guide for his role in the smuggling operation. 

Evidence at trial also showed Gomez Montiel contacted the witness in the following months seeking payment of the remaining $500 smuggling fee. Additional testimony established that in August 2024, Gomez Montiel coordinated the transportation of an unaccompanied minor from a stash house in El Paso to Albuquerque, New Mexico, using a driver who was, unbeknownst to Gomez Montiel, an undercover Texas Department of Public Safety agent.

Gomez Montiel was convicted of conspiracy to bring in and transport illegal aliens, bringing in an illegal alien for financial gain and transporting an illegal alien. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Gomez Montiel be detained pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Gomez Montiel faces no less than three years and up to 10 years in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan McRae of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today.

Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy Castellano and Devon Aragon-Martinez are prosecuting this case.

The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. 

In the two-week period ending May 15, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 90 individuals were charged with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 12 individuals were charged with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 75 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 69 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. 

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for battery resulting in injury, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, possession of narcotics, DUI, theft, drug trafficking, alien smuggling, resulting in injury, DUI, alien smuggling, and prior immigration offenses.

Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During this time period, while detained on suspicion of alien smuggling by Border Patrol, Caleb Brown shoved and then punched an agent in the face. A second agent intervened and was also struck by Brown. Brown was eventually subdued and arrested. In a second incident, agents responded to a sensor activation near the border and began searching for the suspected illegal aliens. One agent eventually located Edel Hernandez-Altamirano,  a Mexican national illegally present in the United States. When the agent attempted to detain him, Hernandez-Altamirano rushed at the agent with a glass liquor bottle and struck him in the head. The agent ultimately took Hernandez-Altamirano to the ground, however, Hernandez-Altamirano began grabbing rocks and attempting to strike the agent and even bit him on the forearm.   

So far, in Fiscal Year 2026, 23 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents have been assaulted, following 88 assaults in Fiscal Year 2025. U.S. Border Patrol is collaborating closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure that those who assault federal officers are brought to justice. This interagency cooperation is crucial in protecting the men and women who serve on the frontlines of our nation's border security efforts and in deterring future attacks on law enforcement personnel.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. 

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

ALBUQUERQUE – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has appointed First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison of the District of New Mexico to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). The AGAC was created in 1973 and advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys on essential matters facing the Department of Justice.

"Serving on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee is a significant responsibility and an opportunity to ensure the challenges we face in New Mexico are heard at the highest levels of the Department,” said Mr. Ellison. “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to refine national policy and strengthen our collective efforts to uphold the rule of law. Over the last year, New Mexico has been at the forefront of President Trump’s mandate to secure our southern border and make America safe again.  I’m grateful to Attorney General Blanche for the opportunity to serve and I’m proud that New Mexico will have a seat at the table where our Nation’s most important legal and public safety issues will be discussed.”

As First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of New Mexico. Prior to his appointment as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico in the Las Cruces Branch Office, most recently as Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Violent and General Crimes Section.

As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison prosecuted members of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (“SNM”) prison gang. He has also investigated and prosecuted other violent crimes, including VICAR murder, RICO conspiracy, carjacking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, murder-for-hire, and various firearms, immigration, and national security offenses.

The AGAC is comprised of 18 United States Attorneys and First Assistant US Attorneys who lead their offices, and Mr. Ellison will serve alongside the Committee’s Chairman Jay Clayton (Southern District of New York) and Vice-Chairwoman Leah Foley (District of Massachusetts), as well as U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop (Middle District of North Carolina), U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros (Northern District of Illinois), U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford (District of Oregon), U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine (District of Arizona), Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby (Northern District of Alabama), U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant (Western District of Tennessee), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli (Central District of California), U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon (Southern District of California), U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon (Eastern District of Michigan), Acting U.S. Attorney John Marck (Southern District of Texas), U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly (District of Colorado), U.S. Attorney David Metcalf (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro (District of Columbia), U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones (Southern District of Florida), and U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods (District of Nebraska).

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to seven years in prison for pointing a handgun at occupants of a vehicle and opening fire as they attempted to flee.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on August 1, 2025, Bryson Chee, 43, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, arrived at a residence in Shiprock as a passenger in a vehicle with two others. After exiting the vehicle, Chee retrieved a handgun, pointed it at the occupants, and began shooting as they attempted to drive away.

Chee pleaded guilty to using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Chee will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – In the year since First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison assumed leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico in April 2025, the office has brought 9,081 criminal cases related to border security and immigration enforcement, including illegal reentry, alien smuggling, immigration fraud, false statements, firearms offenses, and drug trafficking investigations stemming from southern border enforcement efforts. This represents a significant increase from the 3,457 criminal cases prosecuted during the April 2024 through April 2025 period.

The office also managed a significant civil caseload during the same period, including habeas corpus matters tied to immigration detention and federal custody proceedings.

“These cases show how transnational criminal organizations exploit people for profit, import violence across our southern border, and poison our communities with drugs and weapons,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “In New Mexico, we are focused on identifying the leaders, dismantling the networks they rely on, and using federal prosecutions to disrupt these operations at every level.”

The District of New Mexico’s border security and immigration enforcement efforts focused on dismantling criminal networks responsible for human smuggling, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and other crimes that threaten public safety and national security. Prosecutors worked closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute organizations operating across the Southwest border and throughout the United States.

Many of these prosecutions were part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 210 months in prison for breaking into a Navajo Nation residence and killing a man who tried to stop him from attacking another resident.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of June 27, 2025, Armondo Paul, 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, went to a home in Shiprock, New Mexico. Paul shut off the electricity to the home, kicked open the back door, and then assaulted one of the occupants. When a second occupant, John Doe, attempted to intervene on behalf of the first occupant, Paul stabbed Doe in the neck with a kitchen knife that Paul brought from his own home. John Doe fled his home and died in his own driveway.

Paul pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder in Indian Country. Upon his release from prison, Paul will be subject to five years of supervised release, which will include mandatory mental-health treatment. Paul must also make restitution in the amount of $5,471.37 to the Crime Victims Reparation Commission for Doe’s funeral costs and in a yet-undetermined amount to Doe’s family for costs associated with his crime, to include costs expended for transportation to court hearings and counseling costs.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Bosque Farms man was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm after multiple prior convictions for felonies and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence.

According to court documents, on July 15, 2024, Warren Chewiwi, 52, possessed a 12-gauge shotgun and shotgun shells on the Isleta Pueblo.

Chewiwi is not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition. He has felony convictions both in the State of New Mexico and with the federal government, both of which restrict his ability to lawfully possess a gun. Moreover, Chewiwi has four misdemeanor convictions for crimes of domestic violence on the Isleta Pueblo, which similarly restricts his ability to lawfully possess a firearm. Because of these prior convictions, Chewiwi pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He will be subject to three years supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Isleta Pueblo Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was sentenced to five years in prison for a 2021 assault that left the victim with severe injuries.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on December 16, 2021, Darold ZunieFeathers, 29, and John Doe had been hanging out with friends when they decided to buy more cigarettes before the gas station closed. Instead of driving to the gas station, ZunieFeathers turned down a side dirt road and assaulted John Doe in the car.

During the assault, ZunieFeathers struck John Doe repeatedly and bit him multiple times on the torso, arm, and hand. The bites caused severe damage to John Doe's hand, resulting in the amputation of one finger and the partial amputation of another.

At the time of the assault, ZunieFeathers was on supervised release following a 2017 conviction for involuntary manslaughter.

ZunieFeathers pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Upon his release from prison, ZunieFeathers will be subject to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Zuni Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – After a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted an Albuquerque man of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl following a high-speed pursuit through multiple New Mexico cities.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Tevin King, 33, was the subject of an active federal arrest warrant on August 19, 2024, related to a supervised release violation. Surveillance indicated King was in Hobbs, New Mexico, where agents observed a black Malibu departing a residence and tracked it as it traveled to Portales, New Mexico.

Law enforcement followed the vehicle to a Stripes gas station in Portales. There, the passenger exited the driver’s seat and entered the store, creating an opportunity for agents to move in on the vehicle. King, who had been concealed inside, then moved into the driver’s seat and fled as agents attempted to contain the car.

During the pursuit, King drove at high speed while attempting to evade law enforcement. As agents followed closely, King discarded canvas tote bag from the driver’s side window near Eastern New Mexico University. The bag was observed by law enforcement and also by a civilian who retrieved the bag and delivered it to campus police. The bag contained approximately 16,000 fentanyl pills.

The pursuit continued into Clovis, New Mexico, where King’s vehicle collided with a law enforcement unit in a residential area, ending the chase and resulting in King’s arrest.

King was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that King remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, King faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today.

Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Portales Police Department, Clovis Police Department, the Lea County Drug Task Force, and the Region V Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mease and Natasha Moghadam are prosecuting this case.

The United States has filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction against the State of New Mexico, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, the City of Albuquerque, and Albuquerque Mayor Timothy Keller, alleging that the implementation of House Bill 9 (HB9), entitled the “Immigrant Safety Act,” and Albuquerque City Ordinance O-26-15, entitled the “Safer Community Places Ordinance (SCPO),” infringes on federal immigration enforcement authority.

Through HB9, the State of New Mexico is trying to abolish decades of long-standing, voluntary partnerships between local governments and federal authorities that are essential for enforcing immigration laws and keeping the federal immigration system running as Congress intended. Both HB9 and the SCPO seek to block federal agents from using any local government property to carry out their work. Additionally, by unlawfully requiring private businesses to tip off illegal aliens about immigration enforcement activities, the SCPO attempts to harbor and shield illegal aliens from detection by federal immigration authorities and poses an obstacle to the enforcement of federal immigration law.

“New Mexico is attempting to regulate immigration policy, something the federal government is clearly and uniquely empowered by the Constitution to do,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our filings seek to halt the state’s unconstitutional actions by preserving cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement and allowing federal immigration officials to enforce the law.”

“The State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque seek to intentionally obstruct federal law enforcement by preventing cooperation between local governments and the federal government,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “HB9 and the SCPO unlawfully interfere with federal immigration enforcement, illegally discriminate against federal operations, and violate constitutional protections regarding contracts and federal supremacy. Additionally, by barring public entities from participating in federal immigration detention in New Mexico, HB9 jeopardizes nearly 300 jobs and the economy of Otero County. Our lawsuit asks the court to declare these laws invalid and issue an immediate injunction to stop them from being enforced.”

Upon taking office, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border to address a security and public safety crisis caused by previous Open Border policies. On February 5, 2025, the Attorney General instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations. On August 5, 2025, the Attorney General published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which included Albuquerque, and vowed to bring litigation to end these policies nationwide. Today’s lawsuit in New Mexico is the latest in a series of lawsuits targeting illegal sanctuary jurisdiction policies across the country.

Under President Trump’s mandate, the federal government is exercising its proper constitutional authority to remove criminal aliens from the United States. Central to this mission are long-standing, voluntary agreements between federal and local agencies that allow state and local officials to assist with the investigation, transportation, and detention of illegal aliens. The federal government relies heavily on these partnerships, which have operated successfully in New Mexico for decades, to fulfill its immigration enforcement duties and keep New Mexicans safe.

The case is United States v. State of New Mexico et al., No. 1:26-cv-01471 in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.

The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni woman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after her 2-month-old daughter died from asphyxiation.

According to court documents, on the night of January 25, 2025, Miranda Cachini, 27, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, consumed alcoholic beverages and fell asleep while breastfeeding her 2-month-old daughter in bed. During the night, Cachini rolled over on top of the baby, causing her to pass away by asphyxiation.

Cachini pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and faces up to eight years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man who stabbed an individual three times in the back without provocation was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on April 19, 2025, Matthew David Charley, 30, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, approached John Doe and his friends near a roadside area in Shiprock and introduced himself. After John Doe’s friends briefly left the area, Charley remained with John Doe, who had no prior interaction with him and did not provoke him.

As John Doe began walking away to meet his returning friends, Charley stabbed him three times in the back without warning. John Doe sustained lacerations to his upper back and flank and required emergency medical treatment.

After the attack, Charley fled the scene. When later interviewed by the investigators, he initially denied being in the area. After being confronted with surveillance footage, he admitted he was present but continued to deny the assault.

Charley pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Upon his release from prison, Charley will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Pueblo Pintado man was sentenced to seven years in prison for fatally shooting another man after a night of heavy drinking and a physical altercation.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on March 17, 2025, Thurman Curley, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, shot and killed John Doe following a physical altercation after a night of heavy drinking.

Curley pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Curley will be subject to five years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man pleaded guilty to assault after assaulting a woman at her residence.

According to court documents, on September 16, 2024, Kendrick Harvey, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, went to the home of Jane Doe while intoxicated. There, Harvey assaulted Jane Doe and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury to Doe.

Harvey pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.