ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—A multi-agency law enforcement team arrested 34 people in the Espanola area of northern New Mexico in a drug trafficking ring that distributed heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and methamphetamine, federal authorities said Thursday.
Federal health officials have consistently rated the Espanola Valley as having the nation’s highest per capita death rate from heroin overdoses.
“Will it make a difference? We hope so,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gonzales said. “This was just one part of a long effort that’s going to continue. We don’t expect this to solve any immediate issues. The problems in Espanola, as you know, are pretty well entrenched.”
Gonzales said the Espanola Valley was selected for the operation because of the high availability of Mexican black tar heroin. He said the contraband was brought by Mexican dealers who arranged meetings with “long-term Espanola residents” to hand off the drugs, usually in Albuquerque.
Twenty people face federal charges in the Espanola operation, while another 14 face state charges.
Angela Spence Pacheco, the state district attorney in Santa Fe and Espanola, said drug problems have plagued the Espanola area for “close to three generations.”
“Problems related to drugs infiltrate all levels in northern New Mexico,” she said. “There are numerous violent crimes, aggravated batteries, murder and robberies—all associated with drug problems.”
The arrests, along with those of 39 people in southern New Mexico, were part of a federal law enforcement operation. More than 2,200 people were arrested after a 22-month investigation targeting Mexican drug trafficking organizations.
The southern New Mexico action focused on people who ferried drugs for a family based drug distribution network and returned money to Mexico. Most of the drugs were transported by car, but prosecutors said some were delivered on commercial buses from El Paso, Texas, to Albuquerque and Denver.
Since the Las Cruces investigation began in March 2009, Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized more than 63 kilograms of cocaine and $335,0000. Drugs were distributed to Chaparral, N.M., Carlsbad and Albuquerque, as well as El Paso, Denver and Atlanta.
