01/09/2026
One of my top priorities as the Montezuma County Sheriff will be curbing the flow of illegal narcotics into our county. This is absolutely one of the most pressing issues facing Montezuma County.
In 2025, nearly 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 9 ounces of powder fentanyl, 23,370 fentanyl pills, and 168 pounds of co***ne were seized through various investigations.
Montezuma County has become a hub in the illegal narcotics trade. Highway 160/491 has become a main trafficking route of drugs flowing north from Mexico through Arizona and New Mexico.
Investigations have revealed nine separate drug distribution organizations currently operating within Montezuma County that are sourced by international criminal organizations.
Large-scale, multi-jurisdictional narcotics investigations are now originating out of Montezuma County. Due to the narcotics crisis in our county, we have seen property crimes, auto theft, and person crimes skyrocket. And not just increase in specific areas but increase county-wide.
The narcotics investigation unit has seen budget cuts this past year, including one investigator and a criminal analyst. These cases have to be prioritized, which requires proper staffing.
My solution is this: add 2 K9 interdiction units to intercept the flow of narcotics coming into our county and then interdict money that is headed south. With the assistance of federal agencies, that money can then be seized, and a percentage eventually returned to the agency. Granted, seizure laws have become difficult and often not timely, but I believe it is worth the effort.
Also, additional resources have to be added to the long-term narcotics investigation team. If this can be accomplished, we can attack this problem from both sides, cutting off the supply and dealing with the end user, and then pursuing long-term investigations to deal with the distribution end.
This will obviously require a financial investment from the Board of County Commissioners, but I believe we can all agree that it would be worthwhile. Drugs in our community affect everyone. We have had multiple mass fentanyl overdoses resulting in deaths and taxing our health care system, along with our law enforcement. In 2025, a narcotics investigator was exposed to fentanyl during a search warrant, and a State Trooper was also exposed to fentanyl while booking an inmate into the jail.
It is my firm belief that if we do not address this problem now, it will escalate to an unmanageable level, making enforcement nearly impossible.
