District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – Two Mescalero men are facing federal charges in connection with a unprovoked assault.

According to court documents, on September 11, 2025, John Doe was at a residence within the exterior boundaries of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation when he was allegedly assaulted without provocation by Harlyn Cody Geronimo, 49, and Raymond Shaun Chee, 28, both enrolled members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Geronimo and Chee allegedly struck John Doe and repeatedly kicked him while he was on the ground, causing him to lose consciousness. As a result of the attack, John Doe sustained multiple injuries, including serious head injuries that required medical treatment.

Witnesses reported that Geronimo, who was wearing steel toed boots, kicked John Doe in the head and that Chee also participated in the assault. After the incident, Chee fled the scene.

Following his arrest, Geronimo’s steel-toed boots were recovered and found to contain dried blood. Geronimo later denied assaulting John Doe, despite witness statements to the contrary.

Geromino and Chee are charged with assault causing serious bodily injury. If convicted of the current charges, Geromino and Chee face ten years in prison.

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

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

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty in federal court to a violent assault in which he stabbed a victim three times in the back without provocation.

According to court documents, on April 19, 2025, Matthew David Charley, 30, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed John Doe three times in the back without provocation, causing serious injury.

Charley pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. At sentencing Charley 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 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 Mescalero man appeared in federal court after allegedly 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.

Cojo is charged with assault by strangling and/or suffocating and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for February 9, 2026. If convicted of the current charges, Cojo faces ten years in prison.

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.

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 – Two Guatemalan nationals were sentenced to prison for orchestrating a ransom scheme in which they held 11 undocumented immigrants captive residence and extorted their families under threats of violence and cartel retaliation.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, the FBI received a kidnapping complaint on March 1, 2025, alleging that the family of an undocumented immigrant was being extorted for ransom under threats of violence and cartel involvement. Agents traced the ransom calls to a residence in southwest Albuquerque and executed a search warrant.

Inside the home, agents discovered 11 undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, including one unaccompanied minor. They also recovered more than 20 cell phones and a ledger documenting smuggling activity. Two Guatemalan nationals, Isaias David Jose and Tomas Mateo Gaspar, were identified as the captors. Victims reported that Jose and Gaspar locked them in rooms, confiscated their shoes and phones, and threatened them with violence.

Jose and Gaspar subsequently pled guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. Jose was sentenced to 22 months in prison, and Gaspar was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Upon their release from custody, both will be subject to deportation.

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 Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec is prosecuting the case as 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.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man is facing federal charges for suspected federal drug trafficking and firearms violations stemming from a traffic stop.

According to court documents, on January 26, 2026, Stevie Anthony Lovato, 39, was stopped while driving on U.S. Highway 550 with two other individuals in the vehicle and arrested on an active felony warrant. During the arrest, officers recovered a 9mm hollow point round, approximately 1.34 grams of methamphetamine, and two cellphones from his person. A subsequent search of the vehicle, conducted pursuant to a warrant, resulted in the seizure of approximately 18 grams of fentanyl powder, more than 400 fentanyl pills, and a loaded firearm.

As a previously convicted felon, Lovato is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Lovato is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Lovato faces a minimum of ten 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 Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’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.

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 – In coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico brought 7,099 criminal cases in 2025 related to illegal reentry, alien smuggling, immigration fraud, and false statements stemming from southern border enforcement, including 152 cases involving drug trafficking.

Separately, the office prosecuted 32 alien in possession of a firearm cases, advancing national security objectives by enforcing federal prohibitions on firearm possession by individuals without lawful status.

Beyond criminal enforcement, the office also managed a significant civil and constitutional workload in 2025, including 82 civil habeas corpus matters.

“These cases show how criminal organizations exploit people for profit, move violence across borders, and poison 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.”

These cases reflect the District of New Mexico’s focus on dismantling criminal networks that exploit vulnerable individuals, fuel violence, and move drugs, weapons, and people across borders and into communities:

United States v. Diana Perez, et al. - On April 4, 2024, Otero County Sheriff’s Officers responded to a reported hostage situation and discovered multiple individuals, including children, being held against their will inside a stash house. The victims had been smuggled into the United States illegally, provided approximately one meal per day, and were threatened with violence if they attempted to leave. Organizers Diana Perez and Valerie Perez required additional payments from victims’ families before releasing them. Alan Amaya operated the stash house. Valerie Perez was sentenced to ten years in federal prison on May 29, 2025. Amaya has pleaded guilty.

United States v. Alejandro Villalobos-Torres - In October 2022, investigators learned that a victim had been smuggled into the United States and was being held for ransom, with demands for an additional $8,000. The victim was moved between stash houses in Texas and New Mexico before being rescued in Chaparral, New Mexico, on November 3, 2022. Alejandro Villalobos-Torres was identified as the leader of the smuggling operation and arrested on March 11, 2025. The case remains pending.

United States v. Jorge Alberto De La Cruz-Dominguez, et al. - This case involved a large-scale human smuggling operation spanning Santa Teresa, El Paso, and Albuquerque. Defendants transported an estimated 20 to 40 individuals per week, including unaccompanied minors. Smuggled individuals were routed through stash houses and transferred between drivers across state lines. Seven defendants were arrested in February 2025. All have pleaded guilty apart from one defendant who has noticed intent to plead guilty.

United States v. Nan Zhang, et al. -In Albuquerque, Nan Zhang and her husband, Sanjay Khurana, were charged this year with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. The couple allegedly coordinated with alien smuggling organizations to use their rental properties as stash houses for illegal aliens. The couple is also accused of laundering money on behalf of the alien smuggling organizations through real estate sales.

In addition to the spotlighted smuggling cases above, the District of New Mexico has prosecuted other significant border related matters, including:

United States v. Henderson Yofre Mavo Finol, et al. - Eleven suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang were indicted on racketeering charges related to kidnapping, torture, murder, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and fraudulent documents.

United States v. Heriberto Salazar-Amaya - Federal authorities dismantled one of the largest fentanyl trafficking organizations in U.S. history, seizing approximately 400 kilograms of fentanyl, firearms, currency, and vehicles across multiple states.

United States v. Joel and Nancy Cano - A former magistrate judge and his wife were charged with evidence tampering related to suspected gang members and illegal firearms access.

These prosecutions 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 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. 

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man is facing federal charges for knowingly possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material, including images and videos of prepubescent children.

According to court records, in August 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Albuquerque began investigating Julian Alcantar Rodriguez, 35, who was linked to multiple reports of online child sexual exploitation spanning from October 2021 to July 2025. The activity involved numerous social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Google, and investigators identified Alcantar as the individual behind the accounts.

On January 22, 2026, HSI executed a search warrant at Alcantar’s Southwest Albuquerque residence and recovered Alcantar’s cellphone, which contained numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

Alcantar is charged with distribution and possession of child pornography. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Alcantar faces five to 20 years in prison.

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

Homeland Security Investigations - Albuquerque investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Justice and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting this 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.

A complaint or indictment 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 has been sentenced to 37 months in prison after pleading guilty to stabbing an unarmed victim with a sharp metal object, causing severe internal injuries that required life-saving medical treatment.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on June 16, 2025, Adrian Cheama, 37, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, stabbed an unarmed man in the abdomen with a sharp metal object without apparent provocation, then disposed of the weapon, preventing law enforcement from recovering it. The victim was airlifted to a hospital, where he received life-saving treatment for the stab wound and resulting severe internal injuries. At the time of his arrest, Cheama denied responsibility for the stabbing.

Cheama subsequently pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He was ordered to pay $36,567 in restitution. Upon his release from prison, Cheama 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 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 Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing federal charges in connection with a shooting that sent multiple rounds into an occupied residence.

According to court documents, on January 21, 2026, Navajo Police Department dispatch received a call from a reporting party who stated that Taylon Keeswood, 20, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was shooting at a house in Shiprock, New Mexico. Responding officers located and detained Keeswood near the house shortly after the call. Investigators responded to the shooting scene, where they recovered shell casings and confirmed that a residence occupied by an adult and three children had been struck numerous times by gunfire. No one inside the home was injured.

Keeswood later admitted to investigators that he fired an AK-style rifle from his hip, emptying a 30-round magazine at the residence, which he believed was the home of an individual with whom he had prior disputes, before fleeing the area and hiding the firearm. Law enforcement later recovered the firearm at the location Keeswood identified after hiding it while evading police.

Keeswood is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Keeswood faces a minimum of ten 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 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.

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 Las Cruces woman has been charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a Deputy United States Marshal during an attempted arrest.

According to court documents, on November 6, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service Southwest Investigative Fugitive Team was attempting to execute a federal arrest warrant at a residence in Las Cruces, New Mexico. When law enforcement prepared to enter the home, the owner, Joann Rickman, 55, became combative.

A Deputy U.S. Marshal restrained Rickman and placed her in handcuffs. She continued resisting, kicking, spitting, and attempting to bite the officer. Once the situation was under control and the investigation at the scene concluded, Rickman was returned to a standing position and her handcuffs were removed. Emergency Medical Services offered medical attention, which she declined.

Later that afternoon, the U.S. Marshal sought medical attention for a thumb sprain and potential exposure to communicable disease.

Rickman is charged with assault of an officer of the United States resulting in physical contact. If convicted of the current charges, Rickman faces eight 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 FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Las Cruces Police Department and New Mexico Air National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan H. Gennari and Mark Saltman 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.

ALBUQUERQUE – After posing for years as a source of rare Native American art, a California man was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $134,443.60 in restitution for running a counterfeit jewelry operation that exploited the reputation of famed Hopi artist Charles Loloma and siphoned roughly five hundred thousand dollars from collectors nationwide.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Robert Haack, 59, carried out a years long scheme to defraud collectors by selling counterfeit jewelry falsely represented as authentic works by renowned Hopi artist Charles Loloma.

The evidence established that between approximately 2008 and 2015, Haack manufactured dozens of fake Loloma jewelry pieces in his California home and sold them through eBay and direct sales. Haack marketed the items as genuine pieces made in Loloma’s workshop in Hotevilla, Arizona. Those representations were false. An investigation by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service later confirmed that the jewelry was not made by Loloma. In total, Haack sold the forged pieces to more than ten victims across the country for approximately five hundred thousand dollars.

In 2018, federal authorities began criminal proceedings after undercover United States Fish and Wildlife Service agents purchased two forged pieces from Haack. In 2019, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Haack with multiple fraud related offenses arising from his counterfeit jewelry scheme.

In 2021, Haack entered guilty pleas to three fraud counts pursuant to a plea agreement that contemplated a sentence of home confinement. As sentencing approached, Haack refused to provide required financial information to the United States Probation Office. As a result, the court rejected the plea agreement, and Haack later withdrew his guilty pleas.

After the case was set for trial, Haack delayed the proceedings by feigning a cognitive medical condition, which raised competency concerns and resulted in a significant continuance. Following a thirty-day inpatient forensic evaluation, the court determined that Haack had been malingering and was competent to proceed.

In June 2024, after a four-day trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a federal jury found Haack guilty of two counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud and two counts of violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.

“When individuals falsely claim jewelry as authentic Native American art for personal gain, they distort the marketplace and exploit both artists and consumers,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “I commend the professionals whose diligence brought this case to verdict and justice for those harmed. Upholding the integrity of our markets and holding accountable those who undermine public trust remains a priority for this office.”

"Robert Haack’s counterfeit operation victimized customers and directly harmed the economic and cultural livelihood of Native American artists," said Assistant Director Doug Ault, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Protecting American Indian and Alaska Native culture and traditions is a critical part of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. Our dedicated team of special agents, working in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, diligently safeguards both American Indian and Alaska Native artists, as well as the consumers who seek genuine Native American art and crafts. This sentencing underscores the importance of these protections, and we thank our partners at the Department of Justice and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for their invaluable assistance in this investigation."

“The Indian Arts and Crafts Board of the U.S. Department of the Interior (IACB) administers and enforces the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA), a truth-in-marketing law,” said the Board’s Director Meridith Stanton. “The IACA is intended to rid the Indian arts and crafts marketplace of fakes to protect the economic livelihoods and cultural heritage of Indian artists, craftspeople, and their Tribes, as well as the buying public.  Authentic Indian art and craftwork is an important tool for passing down cultural traditions, traditional knowledge, and artistic skills from one generation to the next.  The IACB commends the U.S. Attorney - District of New Mexico and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s IACA Investigative Unit for their outstanding work that led to today’s sentencing of Robert Haack for his manufacture and sale of counterfeit Charles Loloma (Hopi) jewelry.  As the father of contemporary Indian jewelry, Charles Loloma not only broke many Indian art industry barriers with his masterful work, he also inspired his Indian artist contemporaries and generations that followed to excel, push boundaries, and elevate Indian jewelry to new levels as never before.  Mr. Haack’s sales of counterfeit Indian art demean and rob authentic Indian artists who rely on the creation and sale of their artwork to put food on the table, make ends meet, and pass along these important cultural traditions and skills from one generation to the next.  His actions undermine consumers’ confidence in the Indian art market in the Southwest and nationwide.  Now Mr. Haack has been brought to justice, and his sentencing should send a strong message to IACA violators that we will diligently work to find you and prosecute you under the IACA.”

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Doug Ault, Southwest Region Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, made the announcement today.

The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Law Enforcement investigated this case with assistance from the Indians Arts and Crafts Board. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A third defendant has been federally charged in connection with a September 2025 school zone shooting investigation in Las Cruces.

According to court records, on September 6, 2025, Las Cruces Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire at Young Park in Las Cruces, New Mexico. No injuries were reported, but officers recovered multiple spent shell casings from the parking lot. Shortly after the incident, officers encountered two individuals, John Anthony Orta and Steven Mendoza, walking near Hermosa Heights Elementary School while carrying firearms. Both were arrested for negligent use of a deadly weapon and later charged federally with possession of a firearm in a school zone.

During the investigation, law enforcement obtained search warrants for Orta and Mendoza’s cell phones and reviewed social media messages discussing the Young Park shooting. Those messages identified Luis Angel Ruiz, 22, as the person who fired the shots and claimed ownership of the firearm involved. Investigators linked Ruiz to the firearm through social media posts showing him in possession of the weapon, eyewitness statements, and ballistic evidence.

Instagram photo of Ruiz with what appears to be the same AR-15 style piston recovered from Mendoza on September 6, 2025

On September 24, 2025, Ruiz was stopped by Las Cruces police for traffic violations and arrested for driving under the influence. During that stop, officers recovered four firearms from the vehicle, including a handgun with an obliterated serial number. Ruiz admitted the firearms belonged to him. Investigators later identified social media messages in which Ruiz attempted to sell the firearm with the removed serial number.

Ruiz is charged with discharging a firearm in a school zone and possession of a firearm with a removed, obliterated or altered serial number. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Ruiz faces 10 years in prison.

On December 29, 2025, Orta pled guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm in a school zone. At sentencing he faces up to five years in prison.

Mendoza remains on conditions of release pending trial, which is not currently scheduled.

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's Southern New Mexico Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department's Street Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing federal charges after allegedly assaulting a man during a dispute.

According to court records, on September 18, 2025, Brian Adam Archuleta, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly engaged in an argument with the victim that escalated into a physical assault. Archuleta struck the victim multiple times in the face, causing a right orbital wall fracture and requiring ten stitches.

Archuleta is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Archuleta faces 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 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 the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting the case.

A complaint or indictment 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 is facing federal charges after allegedly stabbing a man during a dispute.

According to court records, on January 6, 2026, Naomi Martinez, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly assaulted John Doe with a knife during a dispute, causing serious bodily injury.

Martinez is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. She will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Martinez faces 20 years in prison.

Acting 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 Michael R. Pahl is prosecuting the case.

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

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man is in federal custody after the fatal shooting of a Pueblo of Isleta tribal member prompted a public search by the FBI.

According to court documents, on January 9, 2026, Pueblo of Isleta Police Department officers responded to a report of a shooting at a residence in Bosque Farms, New Mexico, within the exterior boundaries of the Pueblo of Isleta. Officers located the victim, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta, suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper left chest. Despite life-saving efforts by officers and emergency medical services, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to witnesses, Bonifacio Silva, 18, a non-Indian, allegedly fired the fatal shots during a confrontation following an earlier verbal and physical altercation at the residence. Silva then fled the scene with his pregnant girlfriend. During a subsequent traffic stop, the pair reportedly provided false information to officers claiming the girlfriend was in labor, allowing them to be released. Silva was later dropped off in the Albuquerque area.

On January 12, 2026, the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office issued a wanted poster seeking information from the public as to Silva’s whereabouts. Silva was arrested in Albuquerque later that day.

Silva is charged with second degree murder and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Silva faces a minimum sentence of ten years and up to life in prison.

Acting 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 Pueblo of Isleta Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall 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 – An Albuquerque man has been federally charged with unlawfully possessing an improvised explosive device following the discovery of a modified hand grenade in his home.

According to court documents, on December 31, 2025, the Albuquerque Police Department responded to a residence in northwest Albuquerque after the resident, Jeff Bramlett, 46, requested medical assistance. While assisting at the residence, officers observed what appeared to be hand grenades and requested assistance from the FBI’s Albuquerque Special Agent Bomb Technicians. Agents located two devices, one resembling a pineapple-shaped MK 2 fragmentation grenade and another similar to an M26 fragmentation grenade, in the living room. Both were fitted with functional military training fuzes.

On January 7, 2026, FBI and APD bomb technicians safely disassembled the devices and determined that one device was a functional grenade, containing granulated black powder that reacted positively to a flame test, confirming it was explosive material.

Bramlett is charged with possessing a firearm, namely a destructive device (grenade) that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.  He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Bramlett faces up to 10 years in prison.

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

The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States 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 – 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 one-week period ending January 23, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 35 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 9 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 48 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 11 individuals were charged this week 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 child sexual assault, DUI, alien smuggling, statutory rape, 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 Shiprock man was sentenced to 78 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded shotgun, which he obtained by stealing and attempting to sell it.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on August 10, 2022, Crandall Craig Martin, 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stole a loaded firearm with the intention of trading it for alcohol or money to buy alcohol. As both a previously convicted felon and misdemeanant convicted of a crime of domestic violence, Martin was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Martin subsequently pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Martin 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 FBI 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 – An Albuquerque man has been indicted for allegedly stealing more than $2 million in funds from the Norbertine Community of New Mexico and Santa María de la Vid Abbey and filing a false federal tax return.

According to court records, from May 2022 to March 2023, James Joseph Owens, 68, a former member of the Norbertine Community of New Mexico (NCNM) and the treasurer for NCNM and Santa María de la Vid Abbey, allegedly abused his position of trust by transferring more than $2 million in abbey funds to accounts he controlled, including accounts associated with a nonprofit law practice he established, and used the funds for personal benefit, including deposits into investment accounts and the purchase of a residence in Placitas, New Mexico.

Prosecutors further allege Owens conducted domestic and international wire transfers, brokerage and cryptocurrency transactions, and other monetary transactions to conceal the origin of the funds and increase his profits from his crimes. Owens also allegedly failed to report the income derived from these transactions on his 2022 federal tax return and filed a false amended return that substantially understated his taxable income, thereby concealing the misappropriation from the Internal Revenue Service.

Owens is federally charged with eight counts of wire fraud, 23 counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity and one count of attempt to evade and defeat tax. If convicted, Owens faces up to 20 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarom Gregory of IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office, made the announcement today.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico 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 – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 19 and a half years in prison for coercing a 15-year-old girl into producing sexually explicit images over several years and for sexually exploiting a second victim who was 12 years old.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, between 2019 and 2022, Adrian Puentes, 26, engaged in an ongoing pattern of sextortion and sexual exploitation involving two minor victims. Beginning when Jane Doe 1 was in eighth grade, Puentes used multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, to coerce her into producing and sending sexually explicit photos and videos of herself. Puentes repeatedly threatened to post the explicit material online for her social media followers to see if she did not comply, and when Jane Doe 1 blocked his accounts, he created new ones to continue the abuse. Over the course of three years, Puentes harassed, manipulated, and threatened Jane Doe 1, misrepresenting his age and identity and ultimately posting explicit material of her publicly online.

Puentes also exploited a second victim, Jane Doe 2, who was 12 years old. Using his cellphone, he communicated with Jane Doe 2 to request sexually explicit material, sent her money, and arranged to meet her on multiple occasions at a public park, where he engaged in sexual acts with her. As with Jane Doe 1, he misrepresented his age to further the abuse.

Puentes subsequently pled guilty to two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor. Upon his release from prison, Puentes will be subject to 15 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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 Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro prosecuted 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. 

ALBUQUERQUE – An unhoused woman is facing federal charges in connection with the arson of a commercial storage warehouse in Albuquerque.

According to court records, on October 14, 2024, Samantha Lee, 41, allegedly set fire to a storage warehouse used by the Crowne Plaza Hotel and The Querque Hotel on Menaul Blvd NE in Albuquerque.

Lee is charged with one count of arson. She will remain in custody pending trial, which is currently scheduled for February 10, 2026. If convicted of the current charges, Lee faces no less than five and up to 20 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Shawn Stallo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case.

If you have any information relating to this matter or other crimes committed by Lee, please contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at 1-888-ATF-TIPS or ATFTips@atf.gov.

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 men are charged by federal authorities in connection with an incident in which one person was killed and another was seriously injured.

According to court records, on January 5, 2026, brothers Sullivan Jake Jr., 25, Braxton Jake, 18, and Juanillo Lee Jake, 23, all enrolled members of the Ramah-Navajo Indian Tribe, allegedly assaulted John Doe 1 and John Doe 2 at a residence in Pinehill, New Mexico. John Doe 1 was pronounced deceased at the scene. John Doe 2 was transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries.

The defendants allegedly arrived together in a blue truck and assaulted John Doe 1 using wooden sticks, metal poles, rocks, and other blunt objects. When John Doe 2 attempted to intervene, the defendants allegedly assaulted him as well. John Doe 2 sustained a broken arm, severe head and facial injuries, partial loss of an ear, and bleeding in the brain.

The defendants are charged with second degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. They will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, all three defendants face up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’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 Ramah-Navajo Police Department. 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 – A Mentmore man was sentenced to 37 months in prison for assaulting and strangling the victim and causing substantial bodily injury

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on December 5, 2024, Alery Al Reid, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, punched, strangled and threatened to kill Jane Doe.

Reid subsequently pled guilty to assault of an intimate partner by strangling and assault of an intimate partner resulting in substantial bodily injury. Upon his release from prison, Reid 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 – 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 one-week period ending January 16, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 60 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 6 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 58 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 18 individuals were charged this week 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 assault, drug trafficking, and prior immigration offenses.

In one significant case, Denis Houston Puente-Rios was charged this week with illegally re-entering the United States and assaulting a female border patrol agent who attempted to arrest him. While the agent was trying to handcuff Defendant, he wrestled with her until they fell to the ground where Defendant pinned her arms to the ground. The agent eventually broke free and struck Defendant with a rock. Defendant has criminal history for a domestic disturbance.

Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During Fiscal Year 2025, 88 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents were assaulted, down from 103 assaults in Fiscal Year 2024. 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 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 Taos Pueblo man was sentenced in federal court to 10 years in federal prison for the November 2021 killing of his longtime girlfriend, DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo, a Taos Pueblo woman, during a domestic-violence incident.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, in the early morning hours of November 13, 2021, Santiago Martinez, 33, killed Suazo during an argument outside their shared home on the Taos Pueblo. The couple had been listening to music when DeAnna again expressed her long-stated desire to end their romantic relationship, which she had often done before.

The argument escalated into a physical altercation during which Martinez ripped DeAnna’s gauge earring from her ear and pushed DeAnna out of her car. Rather than disengage, Martinez entered the driver’s seat of DeAnna’s SUV, put her car in gear, and intentionally ran DeAnna over. Martinez then called his family, rather than alerting police, which diminished any chance that DeAnna could have survived. DeAnna died from mechanical asphyxia and blunt trauma caused by being run over.

Martinez later acknowledged that although he had consumed alcohol, he knew what he was doing and knew it was wrong.

DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo was a Diné and Taos Pueblo artist whose work celebrated Indigenous identity, strength, and resilience. Her paintings were exhibited nationwide, including at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. In 2022, the Institute of American Indian Arts established the DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo Memorial Fund to support Indigenous women artists, honoring her life, talent, and lasting impact.

On March 28, 2025, Martinez pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Upon his release from prison, Martinez 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 Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary C. Jones and Nora Wilson prosecuted the case. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an incident in which he discharged a handgun in a vehicle, striking the victim.

According to court documents, on July 21, 2025, Leandrew Cody Velarde, 22, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, became intoxicated in a park. The victim and another individual offered to drive him home, and he got into their vehicle. During an argument in the car, Velarde handled a handgun he had with him, and the firearm discharged, striking the victim. The victim required airlift transport to a hospital but survived the injury.

After the shooting, Velarde fled the scene and discarded the gun, which was later recovered by law enforcement along with a spent shell casing. He was arrested nearby in possession of marijuana, alcohol, and a cell phone.

Velarde pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. At sentencing Velarde 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 Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Nation Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – On January 14, 2026, U.S. District Judge David Nuffer issued a ruling regarding the designation of leadership at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.

First Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Ellison issued the following statement:

“Yesterday, a federal district judge ruled that my designation as Acting United States Attorney was invalid. Importantly, the judge also ruled that I was validly designated as First Assistant United States Attorney and, in that capacity, could continue supervising the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico. The judge also declined to dismiss any of the challenged indictments or disqualify me from supervising those cases.

Since I was appointed last April, I’ve repeatedly used the phrase “for however long I serve” because the duration of my time leading the United States Attorney’s Office has always been uncertain. Even though my title has changed, my mission remains the same. As the top federal prosecutor in New Mexico, I will work tirelessly to enhance public safety for all New Mexicans. I look forward to continuing to work with public servants of all political stripes for the betterment of our state—for however long I serve.”

ALBUQUERQUE – A Taos man was sentenced to life in prison for the June 2019 killings of two members of the Taos Pueblo.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Joshua Gonzales, 39, a non-Indian, murdered John Doe 1 and his father, John Doe 2, both enrolled members of the Taos Pueblo, inside John Doe 1’s residence.

The evidence established that Gonzales repeatedly bludgeoned both victims with a wooden table leg, causing catastrophic head injuries and multiple skull fractures. After killing the men, Gonzales dragged their bodies, stacked them on top of one another inside the residence, and concealed them beneath rolled wire fencing. The victims were not discovered until two days later, after family members reported them missing.

Surveillance video, forensic evidence, and cell phone records established a clear timeline of the murders and Gonzales’s actions afterward. Video footage showed John Doe 2 arriving at the residence shortly before the killings. Minutes later, surveillance captured John Doe 2’s pickup truck being driven erratically around the property before crashing into trees nearby, consistent with Gonzales’s attempted flight from the scene. The truck was later found abandoned.

Inside and around the residence, investigators documented extensive blood evidence, vehicle tracks, damaged fencing, and bone fragments. Cell phone records further established Gonzales’s involvement, showing that he possessed and used one of the victim’s phones the morning after the murders and began using a new phone shortly thereafter.

Witness testimony further tied Gonzales to the crimes. A family member testified that Gonzales was the last person seen with John Doe 1, possessed the spare key to the residence, attempted to fabricate an alibi, and later threatened her with death to prevent her from speaking to authorities. Additional witnesses testified to Gonzales providing key admissions about his role in the killings, describing in detail how he beat both victims and concealed their bodies with details closely matching the physical evidence.

Nearly six years after the murders, a federal jury in June 2025 convicted Gonzales of two counts of second-degree murder following an eight-day trial.

Acting 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 Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs, New Mexico State Police, Espanola Police Department, Taos Police Department, Taos County Sheriff’s Department, and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Samuel A. Hurtado are prosecuting the case. 

ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison announced today that five Department of War personnel have been assigned to the Las Cruces Office of the District of New Mexico. The detailees include three Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys (SAUSAs) and two Senior Paralegal Specialists and will operate under the supervision of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These SAUSAs will focus on prosecuting federal offenses arising along New Mexico’s section of the U.S./Mexico border, including immigration, narcotics, firearms, and human smuggling crimes.

This assignment strengthens the District of New Mexico’s partnership with the U.S. Military and supports ongoing national efforts to deploy additional Department of War and Department of Justice personnel to the southern border. It also represents an important step toward the administration’s stated objective of achieving 100 percent operational control of the southern border by increasing prosecutorial capacity in a key border district.

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 – After a five-day jury trial and approximately three hours of deliberation, a federal jury convicted Gregory Vandenberg, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, of intending to use explosives against law enforcement officers at the June 14, 2025, “No Kings Day” protests in California.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Thursday, June 12, 2025, Gregory Vandenberg, 49, was traveling from El Paso, Texas, to San Diego, California, to attend the “No Kings Day” protests, which were scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 2025. While in New Mexico, Vandenberg visited a travel center off Interstate 10 near Lordsburg and purchased six large mortar fireworks, which are designed to shoot high into the air and explode, and 72 M-150 firecrackers, which are designed to sound like gunfire. During this visit, he told the store clerk that he intended to throw fireworks at police officers at the upcoming protests. He asked detailed questions about the amount of gunpowder in the fireworks, their explosive impact, and their ability to harm others. He also discussed taping multiple fireworks together to increase their explosive impact. Vandenberg emphasized that he was not interested in the color or display of the fireworks—only in their ability to cause explosions and harm law enforcement.

Vandenberg, who has no stable employment and lives primarily out of his car, also made several statements demonstrating his knowledge of explosives and past special forces experience. He encouraged the clerk to join him at the protests and repeatedly expressed a desire to throw fireworks at law enforcement officials at the protests in California. He also discussed handing out fireworks to others at the event and noted that he would not get hurt because he knew what he was doing. When purchasing the fireworks, he falsely told the cashier that he was not from this country when she asked for his I.D., and he asked if the store was going to track him. Employees, alarmed by his comments, recorded his license plate and contacted law enforcement.

Federal agents tracked Vandenberg to Tucson, Arizona, and arrested him the following morning while he was sleeping in his car at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Vandenberg initially claimed to be traveling for work and later falsely stated he was visiting friends in Phoenix that weekend, though he was unemployed at the time.

A search of his vehicle revealed the purchased fireworks, along with clothing displaying antisemitic, anti-Israel, and extremist symbols—including a t-shirt with an image of the Al-Qaeda flag and a t-shirt calling for the destruction of Judea.   FBI agents also discovered that the home screen on Vandenberg’s phone consisted of an image of the Taliban flag.  It was further discovered that Vandenberg wore a t-shirt into the store that stated “AMALEK” in large letters on the front—a t-shirt that Vandenberg had specially made and that he stated meant the “destroyer of Jews.”

A review of his phone showed violent and extremist content, including antisemitic, anti-Israel and anti-U.S. materials, as well as messages discussing the upcoming protests. A review of his phone also showed messages suggesting Vandenberg was upset with the U.S. government, including President Trump, because he viewed the U.S. government as being controlled by Israel and the Jews.

“People in this country are free to hold their own beliefs and to express them peacefully,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “What they are not free to do is use explosives to threaten or terrorize others. Vandenberg intended to turn explosives into a tool of intimidation, and this verdict sends the message that attempts to substitute violence for expressing one’s opinion has no place in our communities and will be met with federal consequences.”

Vandenberg was convicted of transportation of explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate and attempted transportation of prohibited fireworks into California. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Vandenberg remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Vandenberg faces 10 years in prison.

Acting 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 Tucson Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office, Tucson Police Department, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Grant Gardner, Richard Williams, and Joni Stahl are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Alamogordo man pleaded guilty to orchestrating an extensive scheme to defraud the federal government and financial institutions by obtaining fraudulent Covid-19 pandemic loans of more than half a million dollars through the use of fabricated businesses and falsified records and using these stolen funds to purchase two houses.

According to court documents, between at least April 2020 and December 2021, Scott A. Spiro, 63, devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the federal government and federally insured financial institutions by submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications under the CARES Act.

As part of the scheme, Spiro created several shell companies that were not legitimate businesses, had no employees, and paid no wages, including Scott A. Spiro JD, LLC, Pacifica Law Clinic, LLC, Spiro Enterprises of NM, LLC, Pacifica Funding Corporation, and Accounting Advisors. Using these entities, Spiro submitted multiple fraudulent loan and loan forgiveness applications to lenders and the Small Business Administration. He admitted to making material misrepresentations about the companies’ establishment dates, number of employees, payroll expenses, and revenues, and to submitting falsified IRS forms, payroll records, bank statements, and New Mexico Secretary of State filings to support the applications.

As a result of these misrepresentations, Spiro obtained more than $650,000 in PPP and EIDL funds. Rather than using the proceeds for permissible business purposes, Spiro admitted that he used the fraudulently obtained funds for personal expenses and debts. He further admitted to engaging in money laundering by completing at least two monetary transactions exceeding $10,000 using criminally derived funds, including the purchase of residential properties in Alamogordo and Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Spiro pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, three counts of making false statements to a financial institution and two counts of money laundering. At sentencing Spiro faces up to 30 years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarom Gregory of IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office, made the announcement today.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case with assistance from the Social Security Administration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico 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 January 9, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 85 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 5 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 96 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 28 individuals were charged this week 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 burglary, narcotics possession, DUI, assault, fraud, 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 Cubero man is facing federal charges in connection with the fatal shooting of another tribal member during a confrontation at a cemetery.

According to court records, on January 1, 2026, Donald Thompson, 49, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, allegedly shot and killed another Laguna Pueblo member during a confrontation at a cemetery within the Pueblo of Laguna in Cubero, New Mexico. Law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting and found the victim deceased at the scene with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest and back. Witnesses reported that Thompson was armed with a rifle and fired a single shot during the confrontation, and Thompson later admitted to shooting the victim, claiming he believed he was acting in self-defense.

Thompson is charged with second degree murder and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was released on conditions pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Thompson faces up to life in prison.

Acting 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 Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan 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 former treasurer of a New Mexico labor organization is facing federal charges for allegedly abusing his position of trust within a union to misuse union funds and conceal that conduct through false financial reporting.

According to court records, from 2014 through early 2024, Max Jaramillo, 58, served as treasurer of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, Local 331, a position that carries fiduciary duties to safeguard union assets and to accurately disclose the union’s financial condition to its members and the Department of Labor. During that time frame, Jaramillo used union funds for unauthorized personal expenses and then submitted required annual Labor Organization Annual Reports that falsely represented the expenditures as legitimate union expenses, omitting the true nature and purpose of the disbursements. These false filings and omissions were material and were used to conceal the misuse of union funds from both union members and federal regulators.

Jaramillo is federally charged with two counts of wire fraud and three counts of embezzlement by an Officer or a Labor Organization. If convicted, Jaramillo faces up to 20 years in prison.

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

The Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards investigated this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico 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 – An Albuquerque man is federally charged after allegedly pointing a handgun at Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputies during a November 12, 2025, traffic stop that escalated into a shooting.

According to court documents, on November 12, 2025, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a traffic stop in Albuquerque for an invalid registration and discovered that the driver’s license was revoked and that passenger Jason Baca, 36, had an outstanding felony warrant. During the arrest attempt, deputies—three of whom were federally deputized U.S. Marshals Service task force officers—observed a handgun concealed on Baca’s person.

Baca resisted arrest, fled on foot, and pointed the firearm toward deputies, prompting deputies to discharge their weapons. Baca was struck, taken into custody, and transported for medical treatment. A loaded pistol was recovered near him.

As a previously convicted felon, Baca is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a backpack containing fentanyl pills and 25.65 grams of fentanyl powder.

Baca is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, assault on a federal officer, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. Baca faces a sentence of up to life in prison if convicted of the current charges.

Acting 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 Maria Elena Stiteler 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 Las Cruces man is facing federal charges after authorities investigated a social media post threatening to shoot up a school and recovered a loaded firearm and ammunition.

According to court documents, on December 17, 2025, the FBI received an emergency disclosure from TikTok regarding a comment posted during a livestream threatening to “shoot up a school” and kill children. The threat was traced to a Las Cruces, New Mexico residence associated with Dion Lee Torres, 25, after investigators linked the TikTok account, Google account records, and IP address to him.

Las Cruces Police Department officers responded to the residence and observed Torres actively smoking marijuana and learned he possessed a firearm. Based on the threat of imminent violence, officers obtained an Extreme Risk Firearms Protection Order and seized a loaded firearm, three fully loaded magazines, and ammunition including armor piercing rounds.

Torres is charged with possession of a firearm by a person who is addicted to or an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and he will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. Torres faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the current charge.

Acting 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dickens 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 – 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 December 19, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 96 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 6 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 112 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 54 individuals were charged this week 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 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for rape, abduction, drug trafficking, DUI, aggravated assault, and battery.

In one significant case, eleven alleged members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were indicted this week on RICO charges as part of a coordinated DOJ operation across five federal districts.

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 – Robert Padilla was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating a retaliatory killing tied to a violent prison gang and for using violence and intimidation to protect an ongoing drug trafficking operation.

There is no parole in the federal system. As a result, a sentence of lifetime incarceration is served without parole.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Padilla, 48, was an associate of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM), a prison-based gang whose members and associates engaged in murder, drug trafficking, intimidation, and retaliation against perceived informants to preserve the gang’s power, territory, and profits. SNM functioned as an ongoing criminal enterprise that affected interstate commerce and enforced loyalty through violence, including assaults and killings.

The evidence showed that Padilla led a drug trafficking organization supplying cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances in and around Las Vegas, New Mexico. In July 2019, Padilla facilitated and participated in the killing of L.L., a former SNM leader who was cooperating with federal authorities and served as a witness in a racketeering prosecution. The murder was carried out to retaliate against L.L. for providing information to law enforcement and to maintain Padilla’s position and standing related to the SNM enterprise. The killing occurred while Padilla was actively engaged in large scale drug trafficking.

After the murder, Padilla continued efforts to obstruct justice and protect the enterprise. While incarcerated, Padilla disclosed details of the killing to another inmate and discussed plans to harm additional individuals he believed were cooperating with law enforcement. When that inmate attempted to cooperate with federal authorities, Padilla directed other inmates to assault him at a New Mexico correctional facility. Surveillance footage corroborated the coordinated attack.

Padilla was charged in a third superseding indictment with multiple federal offenses, including Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering murder, retaliating against a witness or informant, killing while engaged in drug trafficking, firearm offenses resulting in death, witness tampering, drug trafficking conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of contraband in prison. The case proceeded to a jury trial in December 2023. After hearing the evidence, the jury convicted Padilla on all counts charged.

Acting 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 Violent Gang Task Force (VGTF) investigated this case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Albuquerque District Office, New Mexico State Police, New Mexico Corrections Department, Las Vegas Police Department and Department of Public Safety’s State Laboratory. The Las Cruces Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Hobbs man was sentenced to 26 years in prison for drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession as a convicted felon.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on October 19, 2023, agents with the Lea County Drug Task Force stopped a SUV driven by Robert Louis Ortiz III, 39, in Hobbs, New Mexico. During the stop, a canine alerted to narcotics, and Ortiz admitted to possessing three firearms and approximately 3,800 fentanyl pills.

Less than a month later, on November 9, 2023, agents attempted to stop a sedan driven by Ortiz with his co-defendant, Amber Dawn Rogers Johnson, as the passenger in Tatum, New Mexico. The couple fled, crossing into Yoakum County, Texas, where Johnson fired shots at pursuing deputies and threw a backpack containing narcotics and firearms from the vehicle. The chase ended when the vehicle crashed in Hobbs, and both fled on foot before being apprehended.

Law enforcement recovered from the discarded backpack and vehicle search approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills, over 827 grams of pure methamphetamine, and four firearms, along with additional ammunition and magazines.

Ortiz, a previously convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possessing said firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Ortiz will be subject to five years of supervised release.

Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. She was sentenced to 19 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, made the announcement today.

The DEA’s El Paso Division investigated this case with the assistance of the Lea County Drug Task Force, Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Yoakum County Sheriff's Office and the Gaines County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Williams is prosecuting this case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Federal prosecutors in New Mexico have indicted 11 alleged members and leaders of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua on racketeering charges, accusing them of kidnapping, brutally interrogating, and strangling a victim in an Albuquerque apartment, before burying his body in a remote desert grave.

According to court documents, Henderson Yofre Mavo Finol, 39, and Adan Jose Ramirez Sanchez, 38, both Venezuelan nationals illegally present in the U.S., are alleged leaders of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) enterprise who directed acts of violence to maintain and increase their positions within the organization. On or about June 16, 2024, Mavo Finol and Ramirez Sanchez, allegedly directed the kidnapping of a victim identified as John Doe 1. Hagy Jose Barrios Rojano, 31, a Colombian national illegally present in the U.S., carried out the kidnapping by luring him to an apartment at the Peaks at Sandia View complex in Albuquerque.

Once inside the apartment, Leonel Arquimedes Bustamante Sanchez, 27, Yefeso Rafael Colina Quiroz, 26, Maikol David Aponte Ramos, 26, Ichiro Eduardo Yamawaki Berrio, 22, Yorvis Michel Carrascal Campo, 26, all Venezuelan nationals illegally present in the U.S., and other TdA members allegedly restrained and assaulted John Doe 1. During the assault, Bustamante Sanchez allegedly struck John Doe 1 in the head and face with a firearm, rendering him incapacitated.

After John Doe 1 was restrained, TdA members at the apartment allegedly placed a phone call to Mavo Finol, who conferenced in Ramirez Sanchez and other TdA leaders and associates, located in the United States and abroad. During this call, the defendants allegedly interrogated John Doe 1 about his loyalty to TdA and his suspected connections to rival gangs. Following the interrogation, a TdA leader participating in the call allegedly ordered that John Doe 1 be killed.

Acting on that order, Colina Quiroz, Yamawaki Berrio, Aponte Ramos, Carrascal Campo, and Milton Jesus Lopez Guedes, 23, a Venezuelan national illegally present in the U.S., allegedly strangled John Doe 1 until he died. After the killing, TdA members allegedly photographed the victim’s body and sent the images to Mavo Finol and other TdA leaders to confirm that the murder had been carried out as directed.

Following the murder, Antoni Alfredo Herrera Montanez, 27, a Venezuelan national illegally present in the U.S., allegedly obtained luggage to transport the victim’s body and later obtained cleaning supplies to help conceal the crime. Colina Quiroz, Aponte Ramos, and Carrascal Campo allegedly cleaned the apartment to remove evidence of the killing. Between June 16 and June 17, 2024, Colina Quiroz and Ron Saez allegedly searched for a burial site, obtained shovels, shared a digital map location with other TdA members, and transported the victim’s body in a suitcase using a red Chevrolet Sonic owned by Herrera Montanez. Colina Quiroz, Aponte Ramos, Barrios Rojano, Carrascal Campo, Lopez Guedes, and Ron Saez allegedly buried John Doe 1 in a remote location within the District of New Mexico.

The indictment further alleges that Ramirez Sanchez was directly involved in an armed confrontation at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, on or about August 18, 2024, during which rival groups exchanged gunfire and a second victim, John Doe 2, was killed.

In addition to the violent crimes, Colina Quiroz is charged with possessing ammunition in Albuquerque in February 2025. Aponte Ramos and Herrera Montanez are charged with possessing firearms, extended magazines, ammunition, controlled substances including cocaine, ketamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, fentanyl, and marijuana, materials used to manufacture tusi, a narcotic drug popular in Venezuela which typically contains a mixture of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, and is typically manufactured to be pink in color, and fraudulent immigration and identification documents.

Henderson Yofre Mavo Finol, Adan Jose Ramirez Sanchez, Hagy Jose Barrios Rojano and Leonel Arquimedes Bustamante Sanchez are charged with conspiracy to conduct racketeering activity, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering and drug trafficking conspiracy. If convicted, they face up to life in prison.

Yefeso Rafael Colina Quiroz, Ichiro Eduardo Yamawaki Berrio, Maikol David Aponte Ramos, Antoni Alfredo Herrera Montanez, Yorvis Michel Carrascal Campo, Milton Jesus Lopez Guedes and Yhon Deivis Ron Saez are charged with conspiracy to conduct racketeering activity, murder in aid of racketeering and drug trafficking conspiracy. If convicted, they face up to life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley, Nora Wilson and Randy Castellano are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director Jeremy Franker and Trial Attorney Jason Harley from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.

JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua, and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada; as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

This prosecution is 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.

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

DOJ Announcement: justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-highlights-nationwide-crackdown-tren-de-aragua

SDTX: justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/tren-de-aragua-senior-leadership-charged-terrorism-and-international-drug-distribution

SDNY: justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/leader-tren-de-aragua-charged-manhattan-federal-court-racketeering-terrorism-drug

DCO: justice.gov/usao-co/pr/alleged-tren-de-aragua-leaders-indicted-multiple-charges-including-rico

DNE: justice.gov/usao-ne/pr/tren-de-aragua-members-and-leaders-indicted-multi-million-dollar-atm-jackpotting-scheme

ALBUQUERQUE – A Crownpoint man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting he knowingly received and possessed hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, the case originated from an FBI investigation into a convicted sex offender who was distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and attempting to engage in sexual acts with children. During that investigation, agents identified Blayne Ashley, 36, as an individual who exchanged CSAM and engaged in graphic online discussions about sexually exploiting children. Ashley sent multiple images of CSAM depicting the sexual abuse of young children, including victims as young as 4 to 9 years old. He also discussed his desire to engage in sexual activity with minors, including offering access to an underage relative.

Further review revealed that Ashley communicated with multiple individuals about child sexual exploitation using various online platforms, including Facebook, Discord, Kik, and others. In one conversation, he posed as an adult female with a young daughter and discussed ways to sexually abuse a child.

On June 7, 2024, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Ashley's residence in Crownpoint. Initially, Ashley provided a false name to agents. A forensic examination of his primary cellphone revealed 77 confirmed images and 23 videos of CSAM, including depictions of children between 3 and 8 years old, as well as hundreds of age-difficult images and videos.

Ashley pled guilty to receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Upon his release from prison, Ashley will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

Acting 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro prosecuted 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. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Texas man pleaded guilty to federal charges after admitting he fraudulently filed unemployment insurance claims in New Mexico using stolen identities to obtain federally funded COVID-19 relief benefits.

According to court documents, from July 2020 through February 2021, Marc Long, 46, devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the United States and financial institutions by submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims funded by federal COVID 19 relief programs. While residing in Texas, Long used the names and personally identifiable information of multiple individuals to file false unemployment insurance applications and weekly certifications with the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS), even though neither he nor the individuals whose identities he used were eligible to receive benefits.

As a result of the fraudulent claims, federally funded unemployment benefits were distributed through interstate wire transfers, mailed debit cards, and direct deposits to accounts accessible by Long. In total, Long stole more than $160,000 in federal unemployment relief funds issued through the NMDWS.

Long pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud and two counts of theft of government property. At sentencing, he faces up to 30 years imprisonment followed by a three-year term of supervised release.

Acting 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 Albuquerque Field Office and Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General investigated this case, with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Taos Pueblo man has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly attacking another man with hatchets.

According to court documents, on August 6, 2025, Joe Daniel Gomez, 49, an enrolled member of the Taos Pueblo, allegedly assaulted John Doe with two hatchets, which caused Doe to suffer serious bodily injury.

Gomez is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He will remain in a halfway house pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Gomez faces up to 10 years in prison.

Acting 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 Santa Fe Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones 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 Shiprock man has been charged after authorities say he beat a woman to death following a day of drinking.

According to court documents, on November 15, 2025, Harlan Joe, 21, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, beat Jane Doe to death at a residence in Shiprock, New Mexico after a day of drinking. When officers arrived at the residence, they found Jane Doe deceased outside the house with obvious signs of abuse and trauma and immediately detained Joe. During a subsequent interview, Joe stated that he had known what he was doing and that it was wrong.

Joe is charged with second degree murder and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. Joe faces life in prison if convicted of the current charges.

Acting 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 the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan 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 Gallup man was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for strangling his dating partner and leaving her with life-threatening injuries.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of March 6, 2024, Victor Badonie, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted and strangled Jane Doe. During this attack, Badonie menaced Doe in various ways—he punched Doe in her face multiple times, he choked her by pinning her down using his forearm against her neck, he ripped her hair out, and he broke her phone as she tried to phone for help. Doe ultimately drove herself to a Zuni-area hospital, where she was then taken by helicopter to UNMH in Albuquerque due to the severity of her injuries, which included bleeding in Doe’s brain.

Badonie pleaded guilty to the felony crimes of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault by strangulation. Upon his release from prison, Badonie will be subject to three years of supervised release. Badonie must also pay $27,801 in criminal restitution, an amount attributable to Doe’s medical bills caused by Badonie’s criminality.

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 Pueblo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Anthony man was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of multiple child exploitation offenses following a federal trial.

There is no parole in the federal system.  As a result, a sentence of lifetime incarceration is served without parole.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from 2018 through 2022, Othon Jorge Zamarripa, 35, abused his position of trust as a caregiver by coercing minors to engage in illegal sexual activity through manipulation, threats, physical abuse, and the use of online pornography to exert control and maintain secrecy.

On July 28, 2025, following a multi-day trial, Zamarripa was convicted of two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor. Based on the nature of the offenses, the length of time over which they occurred, and the harm caused, the court imposed a sentence of life imprisonment.

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

Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office and Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joni Autrey Stahl and Jackson K. Dering V prosecuted 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. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces daycare provider pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, Juan Jose Cardiel-Hernandez, Sr., 80, admitted to possessing child pornography between January 2012, and December 2014.

In April of 2024, police searched Cardiel’s residence after allegations that he sexually abused a minor. In search of his residence, police located child sexual abuse material. At the time Cardiel was arrested, he was operating a daycare out of his home.

At sentencing, Cardiel faces two to eight years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Cardiel will be subject to no less than five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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

Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department and the U.S. Marshals. Assistant United States Attorneys Jackson K. Dering V and Mark Saltman is prosecuting the case as part of 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.

ALBUQUERQUE - David Mendoza-Enriquez was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for leading a drug trafficking organization responsible for moving tens of thousands of fentanyl pills from Mexico into Albuquerque, along with alien smuggling and importing illegal wildlife.

According to court records, from at least 2020 through January 2023, Mendoza, 42, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States, was the head of a fentanyl distribution network that transported large quantities of pills from Juarez across the U.S. border and onto Albuquerque streets. Beginning in 2020, law enforcement initiated an undercover investigation that resulted in multiple controlled purchases directly from Mendoza, including a 2022 transaction involving nearly 5,000 fentanyl pills at his restaurant, Taco-H. Mendoza coordinated additional multi-thousand-pill deals and handled drug proceeds.

The investigation intensified in early 2023 following a shooting tied to Mendoza’s associates. During the response to that incident, officers discovered a live tiger cub concealed inside a trailer. The tiger cub, now named “Duke,” was transferred to the ABQ BioPark, and later to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado.

Further investigation revealed that Mendoza had also conspired to import other exotic animals for profit and sought to expand his criminal operation into alien smuggling, arranging for his sons and other individuals to be transported from Mexico into the United States. On one occasion, he directed aliens to cross the border alongside an alligator, which had its mouth taped shut.

Mendoza was charged along with 13 co-defendants in a 26-count superseding indictment returned in January 2024, alleging drug and firearms trafficking offenses. Mendoza later plead guilty to eight federal charges, including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, alien in possession of ammunition, conspiracy to smuggle aliens, and conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act for illegal wildlife trafficking.

To date, 14 co-defendants have pled guilty and seven have been sentenced.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, Ryan G. McRae, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso, and Doug Ault, Assistant Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, made the announcement today.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Rio Rancho Police Department, the Pojoaque Pueblo Police Department, the Laguna Police Department, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, the New Mexico State Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hirsch prosecuted the case as 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. 

ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury convicted Jose Ramirez for his role in the brutal 2018 kidnapping and carjacking of his former employer in Placitas, New Mexico, following a five-day trial and approximately three hours of deliberation. The conviction comes after Ramirez evaded capture for seven years before being apprehended by law enforcement in California.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jose Ramirez, 37, orchestrated the violent attack on July 26, 2018. A day before the incident, Ramirez met with his co-defendants in Albuquerque to recruit them for what he described as a job to “get back at his boss for firing him” and “take his boss for all he had.” At the time of the crime, Ramirez was under court supervision and wearing a GPS ankle monitoring bracelet. Hours before the kidnapping, Ramirez cut off his ankle monitor.

In the early morning hours of July 26, 2018, Ramirez and his co-defendant ambushed the victim as he left his Placitas residence. Ramirez placed the victim in a headlock with a knife to his throat while his co-defendant pistol-whipped him multiple times in the face. The victim was bound, placed in the bed of his own Ford Ranger truck, and driven to a remote compound on Pajarito Mesa. There, Ramirez held the victim captive in a shed for approximately 15 hours while attempting to extort ransom money from the victim’s family and force wire transfers to Mexico.

Late that evening, the victim was dropped off in southwest Albuquerque. He walked to a nearby gas station and asked the clerk to call 911. Following the crime, Ramirez fled and evaded capture for seven years before being arrested by law enforcement in California for drug possession.

Ramirez was convicted of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, conspiracy to carjack, carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and extortion. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Ramirez remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Ramirez faces no less than five years and up to life in prison.

Acting 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 Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico Corrections Department Probation and Parole. Assistant United States Attorneys Jack E. Burkhead and Sarah Mease are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – An Acoma man has been indicted on federal charges for sexually abusing two minors.

According to court documents, in December 2024 and January 2025, Bryan Gachupin, 21, an enrolled member of the Acoma Pueblo, engaged in sexual acts with two different minors in separate incidents.

Gachupin is charged with two counts of sexual abuse of a minor and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Gachupin faces up to fifteen years in prison.

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

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Acoma Police Department and the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL). Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall 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.