JURY SELECTION BEGINS ON MONDAY. A NEW MEXICO DETENTION FACILITY, NOW THE CENTER OF A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION. LAW ENFORCEMENT LEARNING. PEOPLE ARE SMUGGLING DRUGS INSIDE SASHA LENNINGER WITH THE ARREST AND WHAT AGENTS ARE DOING NOW. REPORTER. ALMOST 450 FEDERAL INMATES ARE LOCKED INSIDE THE CIBOLA COUNTY CORRECTIONS CENTER. AND NOW SOME ARE FACING NEW CHARGES AFTER A FEDERAL OPERATION. ON WEDNESDAY, WE CONDUCTED AN OPERATION RESULTING IN THE SEARCH OF 12 DIFFERENT PREMISES OUTSIDE OF CIBOLA COUNTY. THE SEARCH OF 25 DETAINEES CELLS WITHIN CIBOLA COUNTY, AS WELL AS ARRESTS OF NINE INDIVIDUALS ON FEDERAL CHARGES OR NEW FEDERAL CHARGES. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, U.S. MARSHALS, AND THE FBI TEAMING UP AFTER BEING ALERTED OF A DRUG ISSUE WITHIN THE FACILITY. AGENTS SAY COURT HEARINGS PUT THE CORRECTION CENTER ON THEIR RADAR. PEOPLE COMPLAINING TO THE JUDGE ABOUT DRUGS IN THE FACILITY. WE KNOW IT BY THE NUMBER OF THE AMOUNT OF CONTRABAND THAT WE FIND WITHIN THE FACILITY AND THE NUMBER OF OVERDOSES THAT HAVE HAPPENED WITHIN THE FACILITY. AGENTS DISCOVERED AT LEAST FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS PEOPLE WERE SMUGGLING DRUGS INTO THE CORRECTIONS CENTER, STAFF SMUGGLING DRUGS IN AND DISTRIBUTING IT TO INMATES. PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE THROWING CONTRABAND OVER A FENCE. MAPS SHOW SOMEONE CAN STAND WITHIN 15FT OF THE FACILITY DUE TO WHERE IT’S LOCATED. NUMBER THREE INMATES USING THEIR BODY TO BRING IN DRUGS AND NUMBER FOUR BY MAIL, WHEREBY PEOPLE SHIP THINGS UNDER THE AUSPICES OF BEING MAIL FROM AN ATTORNEY OR LEGAL MAIL RELATED. BUT INSTEAD WILL INCLUDE THINGS SUCH AS SUBOXONE STRIPS. NOW, IN ORDER TO CRACK DOWN ON THIS, THE FACILITY INSTALLED NEW TECHNOLOGY SIMILAR TO A TSA SCANNER, AND IT’S EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. AS INMATES ARE BROUGHT INTO THE FACILITY, THEY GO THROUGH THE SCANNER AND IT SHOWS STAFF IF THEY’RE TRYING TO HIDE ANYTHING WITHIN THEIR BODIES. AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, DRUGS ARE A LOT MORE VALUABLE IN CUSTODY THAN THEY ARE OUT OF CUSTODY. AND SO IT WAS A BIG PROFIT MARGIN FOR FOLKS WHO CAN GET IT INTO THE FACILITY. THE WARRANT IS MORE THAN 100 PAGES LONG. IT SAYS A POUND OF METH ON ALBUQUERQUE STREETS SELL FOR AS LOW AS $1,000. BUT INSIDE THE CORRECTION CENTER, IT’S WORTH MORE THAN 272 GRAND. A TOOTHPASTE CAP OF METH, WHICH IS ABOUT A FOURTH OF A GRAM, SELLS FOR 150 BUCKS IN THE CORRECTION CENTER, CELL PHONES SELL FOR ROUGHLY $2,000, AND THEY’RE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE DRUG TRADE WITHIN CIBOLA COUNTY. SINCE INMATES TELEPHONE CALLS ARE RECORDED. THE MOST COMMON DRUGS CONFISCATED INCLUDE SUBOXONE, METH, SPIC
Cibola County Corrections Center linked to drug trafficking operation
Agents uncovered drugs being smuggled into the facility in several ways.
A New Mexico federal facility has now been linked to an illicit drug trafficking scheme.”If any of you come and visit us in courts in the past couple of months, you will have heard a number of folks going before the judge, complaining that Cibola is awash with drugs or at least was awash with drugs,” said Alex Uballez, the U.S. attorney for the District of New Mexico.On Friday, the New Mexico Department of Justice, along with the FBI and U.S. Marshalls Service, announced an operation they conducted at the Cibola County Corrections Center that resulted in the discovery of drugs being trafficked within the facility.”On Wednesday, we conducted an operation resulting in the search of 12 different premises outside of Cibola County, the search of 25 detainee’s cells within Cibola County, as well as arrests of nine individuals on federal charges or new federal charges,” Uballez said.According to a 144-page affidavit, agents identified 13 premises across New Mexico and conducted search warrants at each one. Each location was believed to contain evidence related to multiple federal offenses related to drug trafficking inside the Cibola County Corrections Center.The targets of the operation include:Nora Baca – 417 Monte Alto Place NE, Albuquerque, NMEstrella Gonzalez – 1812 Del Norte Drive SW, Albuquerque, NMAngelo Garcia – 4903 Rincon Road NW, Albuquerque, NMMonalisa Vargas – 1333 Columbia Dr. SE, Apt #95, Albuquerque, NMTheresa Atencio – 9748 Summer Shower Place NW, Albuquerque, NMJohnny Valiterra (aka “Chopper”) – 2331 Menaul Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NMRichard Porras (aka “Deuce”) – 2331 Menaul Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NMSonia Trinidad – 401 Dunes Court, Apt D, Albuquerque, NMDesiree Benavidez – 3 Jose P Sanchez Road, Los Lunas, NMAna Romero – 200 E. Jefferson Avenue, Gallup, NMAdolfo Montano – 18 Arroyoito Loop, Seboyeta, NMKimberly Perry and Kelly Perry – 8 Red Mesa Housing, Crownpoint, NMMonique Gallegos and David Hicks – 7 Hughes Blvd, Grants, NMAgents also filed indictments against two current inmates, Lupe Vargas and Edward Vallez, as well as two co-conspirators, Lupe’s wife, Monalisa Vargas and Michael Garcia. No correctional officers or facility staff were arrested.According to the affidavit, law enforcement seized 15 firearms, fentanyl, methamphetamine, suboxone strips, $6,000 in cash and 23 cellphones.”Through working with many defendants who are currently locked up, were locked up or on the streets now, that there’s a number of ways in which contraband is entered, introduced into the correctional facility,” Uballez said.Agents identified at least four ways drugs are being smuggled into the corrections center.Staff introductionThough guards or other staff who bring it in and into the facility for distribution to the inmates. Throw oversThis is where co-conspirators outside will throw drugs and other contraband over the fence to be recovered by inmates on the inside.Body packContraband is secreted in a body, crevice or area so it can be carried in when somebody is introduced into the prison population.Legal mail People will ship things under the auspices of being mail from an attorney but instead will include contraband that’s hidden inside.”Some of the folks who are in federal custody are looking at long terms of incarceration. And it might be easy for a person looking at 15 to life to say, I know I’m going down for 15 to life. I’m just going to make some money while I’m in here,” Uballez said.Drugs are worth a lot of money inside the facility, according to agents.”There are several groups of individuals who are working together and with various teams of people on the outside to introduce drugs. The interest really is profit,” Uballez said. “As you might imagine, drugs are a lot more valuable in custody than they are out of custody. And so there is a big profit margin for folks who can get into the facility.”In the affidavit, agents say a pound of meth can sell for as low as $1,000 on Albuquerque streets. However, inside the facility, that same amount is worth more than $272,000. Agents also noted that a toothpaste cap of meth, which is about 1/4 a gram, sells for roughly $150 inside the center, and cellphones sell for $2,000.In order to crack down on drug trafficking, the facility installed new technology.”One of these efforts is a very high-tech body scanning technology that lets us look and determine whether there is an item of contraband being body packed into the facility,” Uballez said.The facility also implemented a drug treatment program to help inmates struggling with addiction.With the help of more than 50 confidential informants, federal agents were able to identify the inmates and their friends or family who were assisting with the drug trafficking.
MILAN, N.M. —
A New Mexico federal facility has now been linked to an illicit drug trafficking scheme.
“If any of you come and visit us in courts in the past couple of months, you will have heard a number of folks going before the judge, complaining that Cibola is awash with drugs or at least was awash with drugs,” said Alex Uballez, the U.S. attorney for the District of New Mexico.
On Friday, the New Mexico Department of Justice, along with the FBI and U.S. Marshalls Service, announced an operation they conducted at the Cibola County Corrections Center that resulted in the discovery of drugs being trafficked within the facility.
“On Wednesday, we conducted an operation resulting in the search of 12 different premises outside of Cibola County, the search of 25 detainee’s cells within Cibola County, as well as arrests of nine individuals on federal charges or new federal charges,” Uballez said.
According to a 144-page affidavit, agents identified 13 premises across New Mexico and conducted search warrants at each one. Each location was believed to contain evidence related to multiple federal offenses related to drug trafficking inside the Cibola County Corrections Center.
The targets of the operation include:
- Nora Baca – 417 Monte Alto Place NE, Albuquerque, NM
- Estrella Gonzalez – 1812 Del Norte Drive SW, Albuquerque, NM
- Angelo Garcia – 4903 Rincon Road NW, Albuquerque, NM
- Monalisa Vargas – 1333 Columbia Dr. SE, Apt #95, Albuquerque, NM
- Theresa Atencio – 9748 Summer Shower Place NW, Albuquerque, NM
- Johnny Valiterra (aka “Chopper”) – 2331 Menaul Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM
- Richard Porras (aka “Deuce”) – 2331 Menaul Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM
- Sonia Trinidad – 401 Dunes Court, Apt D, Albuquerque, NM
- Desiree Benavidez – 3 Jose P Sanchez Road, Los Lunas, NM
- Ana Romero – 200 E. Jefferson Avenue, Gallup, NM
- Adolfo Montano – 18 Arroyoito Loop, Seboyeta, NM
- Kimberly Perry and Kelly Perry – 8 Red Mesa Housing, Crownpoint, NM
- Monique Gallegos and David Hicks – 7 Hughes Blvd, Grants, NM
Agents also filed indictments against two current inmates, Lupe Vargas and Edward Vallez, as well as two co-conspirators, Lupe’s wife, Monalisa Vargas and Michael Garcia. No correctional officers or facility staff were arrested.
According to the affidavit, law enforcement seized 15 firearms, fentanyl, methamphetamine, suboxone strips, $6,000 in cash and 23 cellphones.
“Through working with many defendants who are currently locked up, were locked up or on the streets now, that there’s a number of ways in which contraband is entered, introduced into the correctional facility,” Uballez said.
Agents identified at least four ways drugs are being smuggled into the corrections center.
- Staff introduction
- Though guards or other staff who bring it in and into the facility for distribution to the inmates.
- Throw overs
- This is where co-conspirators outside will throw drugs and other contraband over the fence to be recovered by inmates on the inside.
- Body pack
- Contraband is secreted in a body, crevice or area so it can be carried in when somebody is introduced into the prison population.
- Legal mail
- People will ship things under the auspices of being mail from an attorney but instead will include contraband that’s hidden inside.
“Some of the folks who are in federal custody are looking at long terms of incarceration. And it might be easy for a person looking at 15 to life to say, I know I’m going down for 15 to life. I’m just going to make some money while I’m in here,” Uballez said.
Drugs are worth a lot of money inside the facility, according to agents.
“There are several groups of individuals who are working together and with various teams of people on the outside to introduce drugs. The interest really is profit,” Uballez said. “As you might imagine, drugs are a lot more valuable in custody than they are out of custody. And so there is a big profit margin for folks who can get into the facility.”
In the affidavit, agents say a pound of meth can sell for as low as $1,000 on Albuquerque streets. However, inside the facility, that same amount is worth more than $272,000. Agents also noted that a toothpaste cap of meth, which is about 1/4 a gram, sells for roughly $150 inside the center, and cellphones sell for $2,000.
In order to crack down on drug trafficking, the facility installed new technology.
“One of these efforts is a very high-tech body scanning technology that lets us look and determine whether there is an item of contraband being body packed into the facility,” Uballez said.
The facility also implemented a drug treatment program to help inmates struggling with addiction.
With the help of more than 50 confidential informants, federal agents were able to identify the inmates and their friends or family who were assisting with the drug trafficking.
