18-02-2025
Law enforcement, DA's office team up to fight crime in International District
Feb. 17—Local and state agencies are cracking down on drug use, drug trafficking and violent crimes along parts of Route 66 and in the International District.
The 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office, New Mexico State Police, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and New Mexico Corrections Department's Probation and Parole Division have partnered for "Operation Route 66" to "arrest and prosecute all people committing crime in the International District," DA Sam Bregman said during a Monday morning news conference outside Adam Food Market.
A district attorney has been assigned to "prosecute these cases from the beginning to the end," he said.
"In the coming months, a very clear message will be sent: If you smoke fentanyl, you will go to jail," Bregman said. "If you don't show up for court, you will be picked up on your warrant and brought back to jail. If you commit a crime, you will be held accountable."
Bregman later said there are too many people out in the open smoking fentanyl and committing other crimes.
"That's coming to an end and that's what this operation is about," he said. "We are going to focus on cleaning this neighborhood up for the people that live here and the business that operate (here)."
Along with drug crimes, the operation targets "violent, dangerous scoundrels," NMCD Cabinet Secretary Alisha Tafoya Lucero said.
While officials didn't specify how many officers will be patrolling the streets, Bregman said there will be "dozens and dozens." And more will be added after the 60-day legislative session ends, New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler said.
American Inn & Suites manager Parth Patel said he welcomes the increased law enforcement presence. Over the past several months, he said unhoused people have broken into the hotel and used drugs on the property.
"I will help in any way that I can," Patel said.
The joint operation comes on the heels of the Albuquerque Police Department's recent three-week operation along East Central targeting open-air drug use and drug trafficking that netted 112 arrests, APD spokesperson Franchesca Perdue said Saturday.
"After Chief (Harold) Medina found out about the operation he spoke with DA Bregman, who said their team would handle East Central," APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told the Journal. "Since APD wrapped up its Central Corridor operation on Saturday, we are shifting resources to the southwest. We were not invited to the news conference but we appreciate the help."
Along with reducing crime in the International District, a goal of "Operation 66" is to give people a chance to get help. State of the Heart Recovery Center, a nonprofit treatment center for substance abuse, will be assisting law enforcement to make sure people "get into treatment immediately," State of the Heart Recovery Center Human Resources Director Fabiola Muñoz said.
That assistance, however, will come in 30 days. For example, if someone is arrested for smoking fentanyl before then, they will be going to jail, BCSO spokesperson Jayme Gonzales said. BCSO had been proactive in trying to get behavioral health resources to people in the International District over the past several months, but people have been unresponsive, she said.
After 30 days, if "we see you doing a crime, you can either go to jail or you can go get help," Sheriff John Allen said.
"If you don't want to go get help," he said, "you go to jail."
