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FBI warns NM parents of dark online network targeting kids

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A chilling FBI warning is putting New Mexico parents on alert about a violent online extremist network known as “764,” which federal investigators say is targeting children through the very platforms many families treat as harmless: social media, gaming sites, and chat apps.

According to KOB 4, the FBI says the network uses manipulation, fear, blackmail, and violence to groom children online across the country, including in New Mexico. Federal authorities say the group’s members often begin by contacting children on ordinary online platforms before building trust and pushing them toward increasingly disturbing acts.

“They’re ideologically driven with the goal of hurting our kids,” an FBI special agent told KOB 4.

The agent spoke only on the condition that the station conceal his identity, citing the danger and reach of the network. He told the outlet that “a lot of the contact starts on normal social media platforms.”

The FBI says that misplaced online trust can quickly become grooming, exploitation, and real-world danger. According to the agent, the group’s pressure campaigns can escalate into horrifying demands.

“It can literally mean convincing a child to cut themselves, to hurt an animal. It can be pretty graphic,” the agent said.

The FBI’s March 6 public service announcement warned of a sharp increase in activity by “764” and similar violent online networks operating in the United States and abroad. The bureau said these networks “methodically target and exploit minors and other vulnerable individuals” and use threats, blackmail, and manipulation to coerce victims into producing or livestreaming acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, sexually explicit conduct, or suicide.

Federal investigators say victims are then further controlled when members circulate the footage to continue extortion and deepen the victim’s fear and isolation.

The FBI noted that while some violent online actors are motivated by ideology or a desire to cause fear and chaos, motivations can vary. Some may be driven by sexual gratification, social status, belonging, or a mixture of reasons.

KOB 4 reported that federal prosecutors say victims, most often children and teenagers, have been extorted into sending nude images, harming themselves on camera, and in some cases have been driven to suicide.

“It’s not just crime. It’s crime with a reason and a purpose and an ideology behind it that we determine to be terrorism,” the FBI special agent said.

The scope of the threat is significant. KOB 4 reported that the FBI estimates roughly 450 people are currently under investigation nationwide, including individuals in New Mexico.

One New Mexico case has already drawn national attention. The U.S. Department of Justice has accused Albuquerque resident Zachary Dosch of sexually exploiting children online from his home for years. Dosch remains in federal custody, with his next hearing set for August, according to the station.

“Zachary Dosch is probably one of the most prolific and high profile members arrested to date,” independent journalist Becca Spinks told KOB 4.

Spinks said the danger is difficult for parents to track because networks like 764 frequently splinter, rename themselves, and reappear under new labels while using the same basic methods.

“These guys are creating new groups with different names but the same basic formula, and they’re calling themselves different things,” Spinks said.

The FBI says these networks typically operate on public-facing platforms used by young people, including social media sites, gaming platforms, and mobile applications. While many victims are underage girls, the bureau warned that anyone can be targeted, including boys, adults, and vulnerable individuals struggling with depression, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, or other mental health issues. Victims are often between 10 and 17 years old, though the FBI says some victims have been as young as 9.

Spinks warned parents not to assume their child is safe simply because they come from a stable household.

“A lot of times they’re coming from normal, stable, suburban homes,” Spinks said. “This is a threat that applies to every kid, no matter their circumstance.”

She specifically warned that apps and games such as Roblox and Discord can give strangers direct access to children.

To find all the warning signs and see how to protect your child, visit the FBI’s public service announcement linked here.

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Vasquez lays it on thick to gaslight voters on anti-cop record

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Far-left, anti-cop Democrat U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez is attempting to rebrand himself as a champion of law enforcement as he heads into a high-stakes 2026 matchup against Republican Greg Cunningham, a Marine combat veteran and retired Albuquerque police detective.

But Vasquez’s latest pro-police messaging is already drawing scrutiny from critics who say the Democrat’s record tells a very different story.

In a Sunday guest column published in the Las Cruces Sun-News titled, “Police officers deserve our thanks, support and funding,” Vasquez claimed he recently met with officers at the Carlsbad Police Department to discuss public safety needs.

“Last week, I sat down with officers at the Carlsbad Police Department and thanked them for their service,” Vasquez wrote, adding that the conversation centered on whether officers have “enough funding to do their jobs.”

Vasquez also used the column to present himself as a consistent ally of law enforcement.

“I work very closely with law enforcement agencies across our district, and I will always stand with our law enforcement officers,” he wrote. “In addition to our thanks and admiration, they also need and deserve resources, investments, and funding.”

The congressman further claimed he has turned officer feedback into “over $3 million in direct investments in New Mexico’s public safety,” citing money for bulletproof vests, officer safety and retention, mental health and de-escalation training, and technology upgrades for law enforcement agencies.

But Republicans and law enforcement supporters are pointing to Vasquez’s past comments and votes, arguing his election-year rhetoric does not match his record.

In 2020, while serving as a Las Cruces city councilor, Vasquez attended a Black Lives Matter rally under a fake name and disguise, according to prior reporting. At the event, he told a local reporter, “It’s not just about defunding the police, it’s about defunding a system that privileges white people over everyone else.”

That quote has followed Vasquez for years, especially in a district where border security, fentanyl trafficking, crime, and support for local law enforcement remain top issues.

The contrast is especially stark now that Vasquez is facing Cunningham, who served as a Marine combat veteran and later as an Albuquerque police detective. Cunningham’s campaign is expected to lean heavily into the public safety issue, presenting the race as a choice between a former law enforcement officer and a radical Democrat whose past comments aligned him with the “defund the police” movement.

Vasquez’s Republican critics have also hammered him over federal public safety funding votes. The National Republican Congressional Committee has noted that Vasquez repeatedly voted to block Department of Homeland Security funding, arguing those votes would have affected agencies such as the Secret Service and TSA. Republicans have also cited his opposition to the Laken Riley Act and his support from left-wing groups such as MoveOn, Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly NARAL, and the Sierra Club.

In April, NRCC spokesman Reilly Richardson blasted Vasquez’s law enforcement rhetoric as hollow.

“Dishonest Gabe Vasquez claims to appreciate law enforcement, but New Mexicans know the truth. Whether he’s voting to block Department of Homeland Security funding or trying to defund the police, Vasquez is, was, and always will be anti-cop,” Richardson said.

Another NRCC statement accused Vasquez of having “a long history of slandering law enforcement,” pointing to his past comments about ICE, including saying the agency needed “melting” and had “no regard” for immigrants’ “humanity.”

In his Sun-News op-ed, Vasquez tried to position himself as a defender of police funding and public safety, writing that officers “miss holidays, respond to the hardest calls, comfort families in crisis, and run toward the danger to keep the communities they swore to protect safe.”

He also criticized proposed cuts to High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas funding, writing, “you can’t say you stand with law enforcement officers working along the border and simultaneously back cuts to the tools they rely on to stop fentanyl from flowing into our communities.”

But the problem is not whether Vasquez can write a polished pro-police op-ed. It is whether voters believe his sudden law-and-order tone after years of progressive activism and anti-police rhetoric.

Vasquez concluded his column by writing, “Supporting law enforcement means honoring their sacrifice with action, and I will always stand with the brave men and women who serve our communities.”

His opponents are now asking voters to compare that claim with his own past words — especially his statement that the issue was “not just about defunding the police,” but about defunding an entire system.

As the race against Cunningham intensifies, Vasquez’s record on policing is likely to remain a central issue. For a vulnerable Democrat trying to sound tough on public safety, the question is whether New Mexicans will accept his new message or remember what he said when the “defund the police” movement was at its peak.

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AP report accidentally proves conservatives right about NM oil

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An Associated Press report is putting a national spotlight on one of New Mexico Democrats’ most uncomfortable political realities: the state’s left-wing policy agenda is being bankrolled by the very oil and gas industry many progressives claim they want to move away from.

According to the AP report, the conflict with Iran and the resulting bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz have sent oil prices surging — and New Mexico is now reaping a massive financial windfall.

That windfall is politically awkward for Democrats who oppose the war, frequently criticize fossil fuels, and continue pushing climate policies aimed at reducing dependence on oil and gas. Yet in New Mexico, fossil fuel production remains the financial engine behind many of the state’s most expensive progressive programs.

New Mexico is the nation’s second-largest oil-producing state, behind only Texas. Revenue from taxes, royalties, and lease sales helps fund government programs including tuition-free college, free school meals, health care spending, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s universal child care initiative.

Now, with oil prices rising because of global instability, money is pouring into Santa Fe.

Former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is running for governor in the Democratic primary, acknowledged the tension in comments to the Associated Press.

“It’s hard for people to think about, ‘Oh great, we have this windfall,’ and children are getting killed on the other side of the world,” Haaland said.

Haaland, a former congresswoman and state Democrat Party chair, served in Joe Biden’s Cabinet, where she backed extreme efforts to limit oil and gas development on federal lands. But as a gubernatorial candidate, she is now proposing to use New Mexico’s energy-driven surplus to expand tax credits — blatant hypocrisy.

According to the AP, Haaland wants to increase the state child tax credit and boost the refundable working families tax credit, which would primarily benefit lower-income New Mexicans.

“We have obligations to try to have a better world overall,” Haaland said. “I think we can do that.”

Her Democratic opponent, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, is calling for direct rebates to taxpayers. Bregman told the AP he wants one-time $500 checks for New Mexicans making under $200,000 per year, along with eliminating personal income taxes for residents age 65 and older.

“It is the resources of the people that’s generating that revenue,” Bregman said. “We ought to give it back to the people.”

The scale of the oil windfall is substantial. According to the Legislature’s budget and accountability office, every $1 change in the average annual price of oil means roughly a $59 million swing in New Mexico state government revenue.

Based on wartime price changes, the AP reported that New Mexico could see about $850 million in additional state income for the budget year ending in June alone. That is equal to roughly 12% of annual general fund spending.

Much of New Mexico’s oil comes from the Permian Basin and is sent to Texas distribution hubs and Gulf Coast refineries. With the war creating continued uncertainty, prices may remain elevated.

To help manage the state’s dependence on volatile oil revenue, New Mexico has funneled large portions of energy income into trust funds and reserves. Those accounts are designed to generate long-term investment returns that help fund mostly freebie programs.

But the arrangement has long created a contradiction for the progressive left: New Mexico’s ever-expanding government programs are increasingly dependent on fossil fuel dollars.

Lonna Atkeson, a political science professor and director of the LeRoy Collins Institute at Florida State University, told the AP that many New Mexico progressives are uncomfortable admitting how much the state relies on oil money.

“For New Mexico and New Mexicans and especially the progressive left — which sort of controls the state — it’s always something they really don’t want to admit or talk about or get angry about,” Atkeson said. “Like, ‘We should not be funding our stuff with that money.’ I’ve heard those arguments.”

The next governor will have significant influence over the state’s fiscal future. The winner of the 2026 race will help oversee a state investment council managing roughly $68 billion, including funds that support K-12 education.

New Mexico is not the only energy-producing state benefiting from the wartime price spike. The AP noted that Alaska is projecting an additional $1.05 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year and the one beginning July 1.

Justin Theal, a senior officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts who studies state fiscal trends, said energy-heavy states are uniquely affected.

“It really is this small group of energy-reliant states like North Dakota, Alaska, New Mexico and Wyoming that are going be affected most directly,” Theal said.

He described the situation as “a double-edged sword,” because higher oil prices boost revenue for producer states while also resulting in higher costs.

“It raises costs for households and businesses which can potentially dampen consumer spending and reduce sales taxes that almost every state relies on as well,” Theal said.

Republican gubernatorial candidates, meanwhile, are pointing to the windfall as evidence that New Mexico should pursue major tax relief instead of more government spending.

“Republicans are using the ‘e-word’ — eliminate income taxes,” Albuquerque pollster Brian Sanderoff, president of Research and Polling Inc., told the AP.

Personal income taxes bring in approximately $2.2 billion annually for state government, covering about one-fifth of general fund obligations.

Republican candidate Duke Rodriguez, a cannabis entrepreneur and former state human services secretary under Gov. Gary Johnson, is also challenging the Lujan Grisham administration’s universal child care program in court. His lawsuit argues the program was launched without required legislative authorization, though supporting legislation was later passed. A court has ordered the administration to respond.

Rodriguez told the AP that New Mexico does not have a revenue shortage, but a spending and accountability problem.

“We don’t have a resource problem, what we have is a real results problem. We just spend and spend and spend with no accountability,” Rodriguez said.

Republican businessman Doug Turner said the state should use the oil boom to overhaul its tax code and consider means testing for child care benefits.

Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, another Republican candidate for governor, wants New Mexico to join states such as Texas and Wyoming by eliminating the personal income tax. He also supports investing surplus dollars into infrastructure in the state’s oil-producing region.

Hull summed up the political tension plainly.

“This morning, when I was looking at a price of a barrel of oil, I said, ‘Well, that’s not great for consumers, but it’s awesome for New Mexico,’” Hull said.

The AP report underscores a reality that New Mexico politicians often try to avoid: the state’s biggest government programs are deeply tied to oil and gas production. For Democrats, the latest revenue surge may be financially welcome — but politically awkward.

AP report accidentally proves conservatives right about NM oil Read More »

TV station says Haaland is pulling a Trump — is she?

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With Deb Haaland already facing criticism for skipping multiple Democratic gubernatorial debates, KOAT-TV added a new wrinkle to the controversy: the Albuquerque station compared her strategy to President Donald Trump’s decision to sit out the 2024 Republican presidential primary debates.

But the comparison may say more about Haaland’s vulnerability than her strength.

In a Friday report, KOAT political analyst Brian Sanderoff said frontrunners often avoid debates to reduce risk, citing Haaland’s decision to decline several debate and town hall opportunities against Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.

“The voters like debates. However, voters suffer as a result, because they get less information from these candidates,” Sanderoff said.

KOAT then compared Haaland’s approach to Trump’s 2024 Republican primary strategy, when the former president skipped debates while holding a massive lead over a crowded field that included Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Trump’s campaign argued he had little reason to give struggling rivals a platform, especially as he maintained that the 2020 election had been stolen from him in favor of Joe Biden and presented himself as the party’s rightful standard-bearer.

Haaland’s situation is very different.

Trump entered the 2024 primary as a former president with universal name identification among Republican voters and a commanding hold on the GOP base after the 2020 election had irregularities and election fraud claims.

Haaland, by contrast, is seeking a new office in an open New Mexico governor’s race and is asking voters to hand her control of the state after a record that includes controversial positions on energy, crime, and federal land policy.

That makes the debate issue more than a campaign tactic. It raises a basic question for Democratic primary voters: why is Haaland so reluctant to appear repeatedly on stage with Bregman?

That would make the piece much stronger and less stale.

TV station says Haaland is pulling a Trump — is she? Read More »

AG admits defeat, agrees to stop bullying Otero County over ICE facility

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After months of aggressive legal threats and political pressure, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is backing down — at least for now — in his attempt to shut down immigration detention operations in Otero County.

In a major development, Torrez has agreed to halt enforcement of the state’s controversial and unconstitutional anti-ICE law, House Bill 9 (the “Immigrant Safety Act”), against the Otero County Processing Center while a federal lawsuit challenging the law moves forward.

The move comes after the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of New Mexico, arguing that HB9 is unconstitutional and interferes with federal immigration enforcement authority.

As part of a court-filed stipulation, Torrez and the state agreed they “will not bring any civil action… or take any other action to… require the termination” of Otero County’s ICE detention agreements until the case is fully resolved.

In exchange, federal officials agreed to withdraw their request for a preliminary injunction — a legal maneuver that could have immediately blocked enforcement of the law statewide.

The agreement marks a sharp reversal from Torrez’s earlier stance.

Just days before the federal lawsuit was filed, the attorney general had vowed to defend HB9, calling it a “constitutional exercise of state authority” and accusing the federal government of trying to override New Mexico’s policy decisions.

Now, however, enforcement of the law — at least in Otero County — is effectively on hold.

The climbdown follows a series of legal setbacks for the state.

In April, the fully Democrat-controlled New Mexico Supreme Court declined Torrez’s request to block Otero County’s extension of its ICE contract, allowing the facility to remain operational. Meanwhile, federal officials moved quickly to challenge the broader law in court, arguing it unlawfully disrupts long-standing cooperation between local governments and federal immigration authorities.

HB9, set to take effect May 20, would prohibit counties from entering into or renewing contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house detainees — a move supporters claimed would shut down New Mexico’s three immigration detention facilities.

That hasn’t happened.

Instead, federal authorities have worked around the law, securing direct contracts with private operators to keep facilities open — while the legal fight continues.

The Otero County Processing Center, which houses hundreds of illegal aliens and supports a significant number of local jobs, has become the focal point of the dispute.

County officials had warned that shutting down the facility would have severe economic consequences, particularly given outstanding bonds tied to the project.

Now, with the attorney general agreeing not to pursue enforcement, those concerns are temporarily off the table.

Torrez’s office insists the decision is purely strategic.

Officials say the agreement is a “short-term tactical” move designed to avoid a potentially damaging preliminary injunction ruling and to fast-track the case toward a final decision on the merits.

They also emphasize that the stipulation does not represent an admission that the law is invalid.

Still, the optics are clear.

After attempting to force compliance with HB9 and challenging local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, the state’s top law enforcement official is now stepping back — following direct legal action from the federal government.

The case now heads toward a broader constitutional showdown over whether states can restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

For now, one thing is certain: despite months of political messaging and legislative action, New Mexico’s ICE detention facilities remain open — and the state has, at least temporarily, backed off efforts to shut them down.

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Report: under Trump, NM border crime prosecutions more than double

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A dramatic surge in federal prosecutions tied to border security and immigration enforcement is unfolding in New Mexico — marking a sharp shift from the prior administration’s approach and underscoring how aggressively federal authorities have ramped up enforcement under President Donald Trump.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, prosecutors brought 9,081 criminal cases related to border and immigration enforcement between April 2025 and April 2026 — the first year under new leadership aligned with the Trump administration’s enforcement priorities.

That figure represents a massive increase from the 3,457 cases filed during the previous 12-month period, which largely fell under the tail end of the Biden administration.

The more than doubling of prosecutions includes cases involving illegal reentry, human smuggling, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, immigration fraud, and other crimes tied to activity along the southern border.

The spike follows First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison assuming leadership of the office in April 2025, as federal officials began implementing a more aggressive, enforcement-first strategy.

“These cases show how transnational criminal organizations exploit people for profit, import violence across our southern border, and poison our communities with drugs and weapons,” Ellison said in a statement.

“In New Mexico, we are focused on identifying the leaders, dismantling the networks they rely on, and using federal prosecutions to disrupt these operations at every level.”

Federal officials say the surge reflects a broader policy shift under the Trump administration, which declared a national emergency at the southern border and directed agencies to prioritize dismantling cartels and criminal networks operating in and through the United States.

Much of that work is being coordinated through the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), a multi-agency initiative launched by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations, human trafficking rings, and cartel activity.

The task force brings together federal, state, and local agencies — including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and local law enforcement — in what officials describe as a “whole-of-government” approach to enforcement.

Officials say the initiative places special emphasis on targeting high-level operators within criminal networks, as well as prosecuting crimes involving children, including trafficking and exploitation.

The surge in cases also highlights New Mexico’s growing role as a key corridor in the broader border security landscape.

With a long stretch of the southern border, the state has increasingly become a hotspot for illegal crossings, drug trafficking routes, and organized smuggling operations — issues that federal prosecutors now say they are addressing more aggressively than in previous years.

In addition to criminal prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office handled a substantial number of civil cases during the same period, including habeas corpus proceedings tied to immigration detention and federal custody.

While federal officials point to the increased case numbers as a sign of stronger enforcement, the data also underscores the scale of the problem — with thousands of cases continuing to flow through the system annually.

Still, the contrast is stark.

After years of lower prosecution totals during the previous administration, the latest figures suggest a significant escalation in federal enforcement activity — and a clear shift in priorities.

For now, one thing is certain: border-related prosecutions in New Mexico are rising sharply — and under the current administration, federal authorities show no signs of slowing down.

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The strange fundraising claim at the center of Haaland’s campaign push

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Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is warning supporters that Republicans see New Mexico’s open governor’s race as a major opportunity — even claiming in a fundraising email this week that “Fox News has named our race a top pickup opportunity for the GOP.”

But no such Fox News report appears to exist.

The claim appeared in a May 12 fundraising email sent by Haaland’s campaign asking supporters for $5 donations ahead of a campaign deadline.

“$5 because Fox News has named our race a top pickup opportunity for the GOP,” the email stated.

The campaign also warned that Republican opponents were “self-funding their campaigns” and pushing an “extremist agenda,” while portraying Democrat governors as “the last line of defense” against the Trump administration.

Yet despite repeated online use of the Fox News talking point by Haaland supporters and campaign allies, no public Fox News article, ranking, or political analysis labeling the New Mexico governor’s race a “top pickup opportunity” for Republicans could be located.

Searches of Fox News election coverage and archived political rankings produced no matching report.

The unexplained claim comes as the race is increasingly attracting national attention and outside spending.

According to a recent report from the Santa Fe New Mexican, a political action committee attacking Haaland over her connection to Jeffrey Epstein raised approximately $650,000 in just over a month.

The group, Accountable New Mexico, has been running ads highlighting Haaland’s appearance in Justice Department files connected to Epstein, the disgraced financier who owned a ranch in Santa Fe County before his death in 2019.

The paper reported the PAC concealed its donors through another organization called Stand for New Mexico, potentially raising campaign finance questions under state law.

The article noted that campaign finance records and business filings showed both groups shared the same Washington, D.C., address, the same treasurer, and were incorporated one day apart.

One ad from the group accused Haaland of accepting “a ride on one of Epstein’s private jets to a D.C. fundraiser.” The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that claim mischaracterized the situation because Epstein allegedly arranged a chartered flight on another aircraft during Haaland’s unsuccessful 2014 lieutenant governor campaign with former Attorney General Gary King.

Haaland’s campaign has denied wrongdoing and insists she never interacted with Epstein directly.

Still, the issue continues to follow the campaign. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Haaland’s Democrat primary opponent, recently stated in an ad: “Unlike others, I’m not in the Epstein files.”

The controversy has helped transform what many Democrats expected to be a smooth path to the nomination into a far more contentious race.

Earlier this month, The New York Times described Haaland’s campaign as a would-be “coronation” that had unexpectedly hit a “primary snag” after Bregman entered the race. The paper quoted Bregman saying, “I don’t think we should have coronations in a democracy.”

While Haaland still dominates financially — reporting roughly $3.16 million cash on hand compared to Bregman’s approximately $200,000 usable primary balance — the increasingly aggressive tone of the race appears to be changing campaign strategy on both sides.

Haaland’s fundraising email itself reflects growing concern inside Democrat circles about the broader political environment in New Mexico.

The email emphasized “safe communities,” “strong education,” and affordability issues — areas where Democrats have faced mounting criticism after years of one-party control in Santa Fe.

And while the campaign claims national Republicans see the race as a top-tier opportunity, the campaign has yet to provide evidence that Fox News itself ever made that designation.

For now, the quote appears to exist primarily in Democrat fundraising emails rather than any publicly identifiable Fox News reporting.

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Eco-left groups lose it as Pearce closes in on BLM

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A fierce backlash from environmental activists erupted this week after former New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce cleared a major hurdle toward leading one of the most powerful land agencies in the country.

The U.S. Senate voted 46–45 on Monday to advance Pearce’s nomination to head the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), putting him on track for final confirmation in the coming days. The procedural vote moves Pearce one step closer to overseeing roughly 245 million acres of federal land nationwide — including more than 13 million acres in New Mexico.

The advancement immediately triggered outrage from left-wing environmental groups, who have long opposed Pearce due to his record supporting energy development and pushing back against federal land restrictions.

Pearce, who represented New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District from 2003 to 2009 and again from 2011 to 2019 and later chaired the state Republican Party, has been a consistent advocate for domestic energy production and local control of land use. Before entering Congress, he founded an oil and gas company in southern New Mexico — experience that supporters say makes him uniquely qualified to manage public lands tied to energy, grazing, and economic activity.

But leftists are openly furious.

“The test of a BLM director is whether they will steward public lands for the benefit of all Americans,” said Dan Ritzman of the Sierra Club. “Steve Pearce has consistently failed that test… he thinks the primary benefits of our natural heritage should go to corporations and billionaires and not the American people.”

Pearce’s nomination comes as President Donald Trump moves aggressively to expand domestic energy production and roll back federal land restrictions that have limited development. The administration has already begun undoing policies from prior years, including the recent cancellation of the so-called “Public Land Rule,” which required equal weighting between conservation and resource extraction.

That shift signals a broader policy direction — one that Pearce would help implement if confirmed.

Democrats, including New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, have also voiced opposition, pointing to Pearce’s past support for reducing national monument designations and opening federal lands to development.

Heinrich said he “cannot ignore” Pearce’s record, arguing it “remain[s] in the memory of every New Mexican who faced his opposition in order to protect the lands they cherish.”

Still, despite the backlash, Pearce’s nomination is moving forward — and likely headed toward approval.

The Senate bundled his advancement with dozens of other nominees in a single vote, part of a streamlined process that confused some media outlets and activists, who prematurely claimed Pearce had already been confirmed. A final confirmation vote is expected soon.

Even some Democrats acknowledge the path ahead is clear.

A spokesperson for Sen. Ben Ray Luján indicated Pearce’s confirmation will “most likely” come through the same en bloc voting process used to advance his nomination.

Meanwhile, the reaction from activist groups underscores just how high the stakes are.

Pearce has been labeled “one of the most contentious nominees” in the package by left-wingers — not because of a lack of qualifications, but because of what his leadership represents: a shift away from federal land grabs and toward expanded use for energy, agriculture, and economic growth.

Eco-left groups lose it as Pearce closes in on BLM Read More »

High-speed chase across NM ends in huge fentanyl bust

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What started as a routine surveillance operation quickly spiraled into a dangerous, high-speed chase across eastern New Mexico — ending with a crash, an arrest, and the seizure of thousands of deadly fentanyl pills.

Now, an Albuquerque man is facing the consequences.

A federal jury has convicted 33-year-old Tevin King of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl following a dramatic pursuit that stretched from Hobbs to Portales and finally to Clovis, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.

The case underscores the growing threat of fentanyl trafficking in the state — and the lengths traffickers will go to avoid capture.

According to court testimony, King was already wanted on a federal arrest warrant tied to a supervised release violation when agents tracked him down in Hobbs in August 2024. Law enforcement observed a black Chevrolet Malibu leaving a residence and began following the vehicle as it traveled toward Portales.

That’s where things escalated.

Agents followed the vehicle to a Stripes gas station, where a passenger exited and went inside the store. At that moment, King — who had been hiding inside the vehicle — suddenly moved into the driver’s seat and took off as agents attempted to close in.

What followed was a high-speed chase through city streets and across multiple jurisdictions.

During the pursuit, King attempted to ditch evidence — tossing a canvas tote bag out of the driver’s side window near Eastern New Mexico University. The move didn’t work.

A civilian witnessed the bag being thrown and retrieved it, ultimately turning it over to campus police. Inside: approximately 16,000 fentanyl pills.

The chase didn’t end there.

King continued fleeing into Clovis, driving recklessly through a residential area before slamming into a law enforcement vehicle, finally bringing the pursuit to a halt.

He was arrested at the scene.

After a four-day trial, a federal jury found King guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl — a charge that carries severe penalties given the scale of the drug seizure.

King now faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and could receive a life sentence when he is formally sentenced. A sentencing date has not yet been set, but the court has already ordered that he remain in custody.

Federal officials say the case highlights both the scale of fentanyl trafficking operations and the coordinated effort required to stop them.

The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, local police departments in Portales and Clovis, and multiple regional drug task forces — underscoring how widespread and organized these operations have become.

While the case ended in a conviction, the broader issue remains.

Fentanyl continues to flood into communities across New Mexico, driving overdose deaths and fueling crime — with traffickers often willing to take extreme risks, including high-speed chases through populated areas, to avoid being caught.

In this case, those risks didn’t pay off.

But the scale of the seizure — 16,000 pills — is a stark reminder of just how much is still moving through the state.

High-speed chase across NM ends in huge fentanyl bust Read More »

GOP governor candidates clash in debate — but one big question still looms

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With New Mexico Republicans heading into a wide-open gubernatorial primary, voters hoping for fireworks at the latest debate instead saw something else: three candidates largely agreeing on the problems facing the state — while making their cases on who is best equipped to fix them.

At the Albuquerque Journal-hosted debate, former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, businessman Doug Turner, and former Cabinet secretary Duke Rodriguez kept the tone mostly cordial, often echoing one another on major policy issues like crime, education, and economic growth.

That dynamic reflects the current state of the race: unsettled, competitive — and still largely up for grabs.

A recent Albuquerque Journal poll found Hull leading with 30% support, followed by Turner at 21% and Rodriguez at 9%. But the most important number may be the 40% of voters who remain undecided just weeks before the June 2 primary.

That uncertainty hung over the debate — and shaped much of the candidates’ messaging.

Each contender leaned heavily into broad, voter-friendly themes, particularly public safety and education, which also dominated the earlier KOAT debate. In that forum, Rodriguez called crime the state’s “biggest single issue,” arguing it “impacts every other area,” while Hull emphasized that “everything rises and falls on education.” Turner similarly warned that nearly half of third graders cannot read at grade level, calling the situation a long-term failure that must be addressed immediately.

At the Journal debate, those same themes resurfaced — with little daylight between the candidates.

All three candidates agreed the state’s education system is underperforming and tied it directly to workforce challenges and crime. They also backed tax reforms aimed at putting more money “back into New Mexicans’ pockets,” signaling a shared economic message heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

Where differences did emerge, they were often subtle.

Hull emphasized expanding law enforcement and community policing to address crime, while Turner and Rodriguez focused more on economic opportunity and education as root causes. Turner, for example, argued that improving education outcomes would help keep young people out of trouble, while Rodriguez stressed accountability in how the state spends its growing education budget.

Another key divide came on political identity.

When asked about alignment with President Donald Trump, Turner was the most direct, saying he had voted for Trump three times and had “no apologies about it.” Hull and Rodriguez took a different approach, declining to adopt labels and instead emphasizing their focus on New Mexico-specific issues.

Still, even those distinctions were relatively restrained compared to more combative primaries seen in other states.

At one point, Turner acknowledged Hull’s frontrunner status — even targeting him with a question about why he did not formally endorse Trump during a campaign stop in Rio Rancho. Hull responded by deflecting, saying his focus remains on serving New Mexicans rather than engaging in political posturing.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez continued to position himself as an outsider candidate, describing himself as “clearly the only nonpolitician” and pointing to his personal background, including having once relied on Medicaid and food stamps, as evidence of his perspective.

Despite those individual narratives, the overall tone of the debate reinforced a central reality: Republican voters are still sorting out who these candidates are.

That’s especially important in a race where none of the contenders has held statewide office, leaving many voters still unfamiliar with their records and proposals.

And with independents now playing a larger role under New Mexico’s semi-open primary system, all three candidates made clear they are competing not just for Republican voters — but for a broader coalition that could decide the outcome.

With early voting beginning and nearly half the electorate still undecided, the race remains fluid.

The candidates may agree on what’s wrong with New Mexico — but in the weeks ahead, the question voters will answer is who they trust to fix it.

GOP governor candidates clash in debate — but one big question still looms Read More »

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