New Mexico cracks down on organized crime as human trafficking operation rescues 91

“Operation Disruption” took place between August 17 and 29, resulting in 91 rescues, 735 traffic stops and 16 arrests. The operation also identified 33 shelters, according to a September 3 press release.

According to the El Paso Times, people smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border are taken to stash houses in El Paso, Texas. This makes the New Mexico desert west of El Paso an active area for human trafficking. In this particular area, migrants have died from heat after being smuggled across the border and getting lost.

During the operation, nine people were found in the desert, including a woman in a life-threatening condition, the Sept. 3 press release said. The 12-day human trafficking operation in August involved multiple agencies, including the New Mexico State Police Crime Suppression and Uniform Bureaus, New Mexico Organized Crime Commission, U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, Las Cruces Police Department, Bureau of Land Management, Texas Department of Public Safety and Mexican officials.

According to the El Paso Times, in May 2023, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham revamped the New Mexico Organized Crime Commission to take “an advanced approach” to combating criminal organizations such as Mexican drug cartels.

Lujan Grisham is the Governor of New Mexico, currently serving her second term. She is known for being the first Democratic Hispanic woman elected Governor of New Mexico. Her first term saw major initiatives, including creating cabinet-level state agencies dedicated to early childhood education and care; securing stable funding for the Early Childhood Trust Fund and Land Grant Permanent Fund; and making child care free for many families in the state. She was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico and holds bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of New Mexico. Lujan Grisham previously served as New Mexico’s Secretary of Health under Governor Bill Richardson and represented District 1 in the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms.