The governor of New Mexico has declared a state of emergency due to rising violent crime and drug trafficking in northern parts of the state, including two Native American pueblo areas.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s emergency declaration releases $750,000 for efforts to combat violent crime, drug-related issues, and other associated challenges in Rio Arriba County.
This county, extending from Española—25 miles from Santa Fe—to the Colorado border, has struggled long with opioid addiction and high overdose death rates, alongside growing homeless encampments in its more populated regions.
“The surge in criminal activity is worsening problems like homelessness, family distress, and fatal drug overdoses, putting immense pressure on local authorities and police forces who require urgent state support,” stated Lujan Grisham, a Democrat.
Earlier this year, in April, Lujan Grisham had also declared an emergency in Albuquerque, citing a rise in crime there and calling for National Guard assistance. She had previously suspended gun-carry rights in Albuquerque’s public parks due to several fatal shootings involving children.
No immediate troop deployments are planned for Rio Arriba County, but the emergency status permits authorities to summon the National Guard if needed. The funds will assist local law enforcement with overtime costs, buying equipment, and organizing police actions, according to Jodi McGinnis Porter, Lujan Grisham’s spokesperson.
The tribal governor of Santa Clara Pueblo on the edge of Española urged the state to address a growing public safety crisis stemming from the use and abuse of fentanyl and alcohol in the community at large.
“The pueblo has expended thousands of dollars trying to address this crisis … and to protect pueblo children who are directly and negatively affected by a parent’s or guardian’s addiction,” said Santa Clara Gov. James Naranjo in a July letter to Lujan Grisham. “But we are not an isolated community and the causes and effects of fentanyl/alcohol abuse, increased crime, and increased homelessness extend to the wider community.”
Recent deaths in the region linked by medical investigators to fentanyl and alcohol use include Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield.
In 2020, President Donald Trump sent federal agents, including Homeland Security officers, to Albuquerque as part of an effort to contain violent crime.
Separately on Wednesday, the Albuquerque Police Department announced murder charges against three teenagers — including two juveniles — in the July 2 shooting death of a homeless man in Albuquerque who was chased from a bus stop in the predawn hours. A 15-year-old boy is accused of being the shooter in the killing of 45-year-old Frank Howard, police department spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said.
