FEDERAL AUTHORITIES COMPLETE LARGEST RACKETEERING PROSECUTION IN DISTRICT HISTORY AGAINST SYNDICATO DE NUEVO MEXICO

ALBUQUERQUE — The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced the conclusion of the federal prosecution of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) prison gang following the completion of recent sentencing hearings. The investigation and subsequent litigation spanned more than a decade and resulted in state and federal charges against 178 members and associates.

The Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico operated as a violent racketeering enterprise originating within the New Mexico state prison system following the 1980 prison riot. The organization maintained influence both inside correctional facilities and in communities across New Mexico through murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and witness intimidation. Entry into the organization required acts of violence under a “blood in, blood out” structure, reinforcing internal enforcement and hierarchy.

Federal prosecutions were conducted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering statute. Investigators documented long-term criminal activity involving coordinated operations between SNM and affiliated groups, including the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine within correctional facilities and across surrounding communities. Evidence established the use of violence and intimidation, including targeting suspected cooperators, to maintain operational control.

The investigation relied on sustained federal enforcement measures, including more than 110 undercover drug and firearm purchases, the use of confidential human sources, and court-authorized wire intercepts. These methods identified an organized and structured criminal enterprise operating across multiple jurisdictions.

Federal case outcomes include:

• 156 individuals federally indicted for 325 overt acts between 1980 and 2024
• Convictions tied to 13 murders carried out inside and outside correctional facilities
• Documented cases include:
  • 2001 cold-case strangulations of two inmates
  • 2007 and 2014 killings of inmates identified as suspected cooperators

Authorities also disrupted a 2015 conspiracy to assassinate the Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Corrections Department and high-ranking members of the New Mexico State Police. The plot was tied to retaliation following the conviction of SNM associate Michael Paul Astorga in the killing of Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jim McGrane.

In October 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld convictions of SNM leadership, affirming the application of federal racketeering statutes to prison-based criminal enterprises.

Six jury trials resulted in nine convictions across multiple phases of the prosecution.

The following SNM members received life sentences:

• Anthony Ray Baca
• Jody Rufino Martinez
• Robert Padilla
• Angel DeLeon
• Joe Gallegos
• Edward Troup
• Carlos Herrera
• Anthony Cordova
• Arturo Arnulfo Garcia
• Billy Garcia
• Daniel Sanchez
• Sam Silva

On September 1, 2022, federal authorities executed 16 search warrants resulting in the seizure of:

• $1.8 million in cash
• 1.1 million fentanyl pills
• 160 pounds of methamphetamine
• Additional firearms and controlled substances

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison stated that the case required sustained coordination and long-term commitment from federal prosecutors and investigators.

Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division, stated that the scale of the investigation reflected a multi-year effort focused on dismantling violent criminal activity and protecting affected communities.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office Violent Gang Task Force led the investigation with support from multiple federal, state, and local agencies, including the New Mexico Department of Corrections, New Mexico State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Correction Center, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Police Department, FBI field divisions in El Paso, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, and Knoxville, and the Drug Enforcement Administration Albuquerque District Office.

The Las Cruces Branch Office of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the cases.

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