ALBUQUERQUE
A federal grand jury returned two indictments charging members of Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico or SNM, a violent prison game with racketeering by conspiring to commit violent crimes, including murder, attempted murder and assault, federal officials announced Friday.
The indictments are the result of a multi-agency investigation led by the Albuquerque Division of the FBI that culminated Thursday.
“Nothing is more important to the FBI than protecting the American people. That’s why we teamed up with our partners and set our sights on a large, violent prison gang that for more than 30 years used murder, kidnapping and assault to intimidate their fellow inmates as well as our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan Finnegan. “
More than 500 federal, state, county and local law enforcement and corrections officers were involved in Thursday’s law enforcement operation.
In addition to the arrests, the law enforcement operation included the execution of 12 federal search warrants in New Mexico and one in Tennessee; a lockdown of three prison facilities in the state for the purpose of conducting cell searches; and more than 50 probation and parole searches throughout the state.
The following agencies were involved in the law enforcement operation:
- Albuquerque Division of the FBI
- New Mexico Corrections Department
- New Mexico State Police
- Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office
- Metropolitan Correctional Center
- Albuquerque Police Department
- U.S. Marshals Service
- The El Paso, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Knoxville FBI Divisions.
“This is a monumental accomplishment for our agencies. These arrests will help rid our streets of systematic, organized crime and violent, illegal activities perpetuated by accused repeat offenders,” said Chief Gorden Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department. “We are extremely thankful for the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners which ensure cases like this have a powerful impact—one that will positively affect our community for years to come.”
In announcing the indictments, U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez said “The results of this investigation demonstrate the resolve of the law enforcement community in New Mexico to work together to make our communities safer and better places to live, work and raise families.”
Martinez noted that the two cases are being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution.
The two racketeering indictments allege that the 25 defendants charged were members and associates of the SNM Prison Gang, a state-wide gang operating in New Mexico prisons and in communities throughout the state.
According to the indictments, the SNM Prison Gang was formed in the early 1980s at the Penitentiary of New Mexico after the prison riot in Feb. 1980, and expanded throughout the New Mexico penal system.
The gang has expanded throughout the state’s penal system and has included up to 500 members, variously called “hermanos,” “carnales,” “jefes,” “big homies” or “Zia manos” who operated with a “panel” or “mesa” (table) of leaders in control, according to general background in the indictment.
Law enforcement claims that gang members and associates allegedly are expected to remain loyal to the gang and work to further its objectives after they have completed their prison sentences and those who do not are allegedly subject to violent forms of discipline.
The racketeering indictments allege that significant goals of the SNM Prison Gang include controlling and profiting from drug trafficking both within and outside the penal system; intimidating and influencing other gangs for the purpose of expanding the network for its illegal activities; and engaging in violence to assert its gang identity and protect its territory.
The first of the racketeering indictments charges 24 alleged SNM Prison Gang members and associates with committing four murders, conspiring to commit three murders and conspiring to commit a violent assault for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their positons within the SNM Prison Gang, an enterprise engaged in racketeering activity.
The indictment includes Notices of Special Findings against the 12 defendants alleged to have committed murder in aid of the Gang’s racketeering affairs.
The decision whether or not to seek the death penalty will be made by the U.S. Attorney General based on the recommendations of the U.S. Attorney and after carefully considering each defendant’s background and the circumstances of his crimes.
The second racketeering indictment charges four alleged SNM Prison Gang members and associates, including three charged in the first racketeering indictment, with conspiring to commit two murders and committing two violent assaults for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their positons within the SNM Prison Gang.
“Deputy U.S. Marshals and Special Deputized Marshals enhance the safety of our citizens and communities by regularly contributing their expertise in apprehending violent offenders to operations like the one the U.S. Marshals Service participated in yesterday,” said U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria. “The U.S. Marshals Service will continue to support the prosecution of these racketeering cases as they proceed through the criminal justice system in front of a federal judge.”
“The citizens of New Mexico are safer today because of the collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies. When law enforcement agencies combine resources and assets, we are able to prevent violent crimes,” said New Mexico State Police Chief, Pete Kassetas. “These cases are great examples of how local, county, state and federal agencies are working with State District Attorneys and the U.S. Attorney to prevent violent crimes. This operation reinforces that there are consequences to those that choose to conspire to commit violent crimes in our state.”
“The collaboration between law enforcement and corrections has proven to be highly effective in proactively preventing crime and making our community a safer place to live, work, and visit,” said Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, III. “This operation has created the opportunity to partner with our state and federal partners to remove and prosecute those who continually participate in criminal activity and sends a clear message that we have a strategy to keep our community safer by holding criminals accountable.”
Defendants charged in this indictments are the following people:
Angel DeLeon, 38, a Mexican national- Joe Gallegos, 46, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Edward Troup, 41, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Leonard Lujan, 49, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Billy Garcia, 61, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Eugene Martinez, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Allen Patterson, 45, of Silver City, N.M.
- Christopher Chavez, 39, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Javier Alonso, 36, of Roswell, N.M.
- Arturo Arnulfo Garcia, 48, of Denver, Colo.
- Benjamin Clark, 37, of Las Cruces, N.M
- Ruben Hernandez, 42, of Clovis, N.M.
- Jerry Armenta, 35, of Merced, Calif.
- Jerry Montoya, 35, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Mario Rodriguez, 31, of Silver City, N.M.
- Mauricio Varela, 45, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Daniel Sanchez, 43, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Gerald Archuleta, 49, of McMinnville, Tenn.
- Conrad Villegas, 31, of Deming, N.M.
- Anthony Ray Baca, 52, of Albuquerque, N.M.,
- Robert Martinez, 51, of Santa Fe, N.M.
- Roy Paul Martinez 43 of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Christopher Garcia, 40, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- Mauricio Varela, 45, of Albuquerque, N.M.
- David Calbert, 39, of Clovis, N.M.
- Robert Martinez, 51, of Santa Fe, N.M.
- Mario Rodriguez, 31, of Silver City, N.M.
