New Mexico Organized Crime Commission Reports Successes in 2024

SANTA FE - The New Mexico Organized Crime Commission created by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and led by Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman today released its annual report, highlighting significant achievements in disrupting criminal organizations across the state in its first year of operation.

The report also makes a strong case for additional resources to combat increasingly sophisticated criminal networks operating in New Mexico. Over the past year, the Commission coordinated multiple successful operations targeting human trafficking, drug trafficking, and the illegal firearms trade.

“Criminal organizations have infiltrated our communities, but with the right strategy and appropriate resources, we can continue to disrupt their operations and make New Mexico safer for all,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “I urge state lawmakers to read this important report and provide the funding needed to continue the Commission’s vital work.”

Key achievements of the Commission in 2024 include:

• Rescuing more than 200 migrants from human trafficking organizations through “Operation Disruption,” a coordinated effort involving more than 20 federal, state, and international law enforcement agencies
• Shutting down 10 illegal massage parlors involved in human trafficking operations and seizing approximately $90,000 in illegal proceeds
• Assisting with the dismantling of major illegal cannabis operations, including the seizure and destruction of approximately 160,000 pounds of illegal cannabis worth an estimated $200 million
• Identifying and mapping key fentanyl trafficking routes into New Mexico, revealing that most illegal fentanyl enters the state through Arizona and Texas rather than the southern border
• Disrupting dozens of human trafficking stash houses across the state through coordinated law enforcement operations
• Opening investigations against the dangerous Venezuelan gang, Tren De Aragua, which is responsible for significant amounts of human trafficking, drug trafficking, and gun smuggling throughout the country.

“I’m very proud of the Commission’s work, including its aggressive approach to fighting the cartels in human trafficking, fentanyl, and cannabis,” Bregman said. “Our success shows what we can accomplish when law enforcement agencies work together to combat organized crime.”

To build on the success of its first year of operation, the Organized Crime Commission is requesting a special appropriation of $4.5 million to cover fiscal years 2026 and 2027. This funding would: 

• Allow the Commission to expand its team to 10 full-time employees, including special agents and intelligence analysts
• Allow for the purchase of necessary vehicles and law enforcement equipment
• Cover essential travel expenses for cross-jurisdictional operations
• Establish a centralized intelligence center under the New Mexico Department of Public Safety

The Commission is also recommending updates to state laws, including strengthening human trafficking statutes and addressing gaps in firearms legislation to better combat criminal organizations operating in New Mexico.

Click Here for full report.