Multi-Agency Gang Investigation in Las Cruces Leads to Federal Charges and Seizure of Firearms and Narcotics

ALBUQUERQUE - First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, and Police Chief Jeremy Story of the Las Cruces Police Department announced today that federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies concluded a months-long joint investigation targeting violent gang activity in the Las Cruces area, resulting in federal and state criminal charges, the seizure of firearms and narcotics, and the clearance of multiple violent crimes.

The investigation was led by the Las Cruces Police Department's Street Crimes Unit in partnership with the Las Cruces/Doña Ana Metro Narcotics Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Safe Streets Task Force and the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers executed approximately 58 legal processes, including search warrants, arrest warrants, and court orders totaling more than 800 pages. The investigation resulted in the seizure of 19 firearms, three machine gun conversion devices, two sets of body armor, approximately 265 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately 200 grams of fentanyl.

As a result of the investigation, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico has charged six defendants with federal offenses as part of Summer Heat, the FBI's nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months. By surging resources alongside federal, state, and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, the FBI seeks to aggressively restore safety in communities across the country. These cases include:

• Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone
• Discharging a Firearm in a School Zone
• Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number
• Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment
• Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
• Possession of Body Armor by a Violent Felon
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

In addition, multiple defendants were charged in state court for the following offenses:

• Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
• Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon
• Shooting At or From a Motor Vehicle (multiple counts)
• Unlawful Possession of a Handgun by a Person Under Age 19 (multiple counts)
• Possession of Cocaine

Information developed during the investigation also led investigators to solve 11 drive-by shootings in the Las Cruces area.

Because the investigation remains ongoing and additional enforcement actions are anticipated, the identities of the charged individuals are not being released at this time.