SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO: Border Patrol Agents from Lordsburg, New Mexico arrested an active member of a prison gang with an extensive criminal history.
A local rancher contacted Border Patrol officials at the Lordsburg Station about a possible illegal alien trespassing on private property. Lordsburg Agents stationed at a Forward Operating Base (FOB) were dispatched immediately to respond to the area where the rancher had last seen the subject. Agents immediately began a search of the area and quickly located and arrested 43- year-old Martin Romero-Camilo, a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States. While conducting a brief field interview, agents discovered the subject was an undocumented alien with a history of illegal crossings and known gang affiliations. The subject claimed to have joined the “Paisa” gang while he lived in the state of Michoacan, Mexico.
Once the individual was transported to the station, the subject’s criminal history revealed he had been previously deported in 2001 after serving time in prison from April 1993 to October 2001. His previous convictions include “Assault with a Deadly Weapon” in the State of California. Prior to that conviction, Romero was arrested for robbery in Norwalk, California that same year and has an active warrant also originating from Norwalk.
In a separate incident Thursday evening, Border Patrol Agents assigned in Lordsburg, working along with a Border Patrol Canine, came across five abandoned backpacks in the desert. In total, the backpacks contained 209 pounds marijuana, valued at $167,000. The contraband was transported to the Border Patrol station awaiting transfer to DEA.
Meanwhile in Deming, New Mexico, agents recovered nearly 93 pounds of abandoned marijuana in the remote area of desert on Thursday. With the help of a Border Patrol canine, they discovered two burlap backpacks containing $74,000 worth of marijuana. As in this instance, Border Patrol Agents often come across abandoned contraband once smugglers suspect agents are trailing them. These 93 pounds of contraband were also transferred to the DEA.
These incidents demonstrate how vigilance by U.S. Border Patrol Agents and the ability to rapidly respond to urban areas is combating the furtherance of illicit drugs and wanted criminals into our community, while keeping our nation’s borders safe.
