New Mexico
State leaders outline results of 'Operation Disruption' in New Mexico
On Tuesday, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other law enforcement leaders updated folks on Operation Disruption.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – On Tuesday, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other law enforcement leaders updated folks on “Operation Disruption.” That’s an effort targeting human trafficking at our southern border.
Bregman is not only the Bernalillo County district attorney, he’s chair of the Organized Crime Commission. That commission has human trafficking on New Mexico’s border in the crosshairs.
“Human trafficking is modern day slavery,” said Bregman.
The governor, along with law enforcement leadership, outlined the results of Operation Disruption, which targeted human trafficking operations on the border.
“If we don’t stop it, we don’t disrupt it, we continue to be victimized,” said Lujan Grisham.
For two weeks, law enforcement agencies teamed up for a surge at the border.
“The two weeks this operation was in place resulted in a significant drop in migrant deaths,” Bregman said.
Bregman shared a photo as an example of that life-saving work. State Police officers found a woman in critical condition in the desert and saved her life with an ice bath.
According to the governor’s office, law enforcement found nine people in the desert during the operation, and a total of 91 were rescued by State Police. 33 stash houses were identified. 16 people were arrested and now face state charges.
Bregman and the governor say operations like this have ripple effects.
“You disrupt one part of the criminal activity, you’re disrupting fentanyl trafficking and gun trafficking,” Lujan Grisham.
They say more needs to be done.
“Our human trafficking laws need to be changed in the state of New Mexico,” Bregman said.
The governor says she will again try to get the law changed at the session in January. In the meantime, Bregman promises law enforcement will continue to target human trafficking across the state.
“We know there’s stash houses in Albuquerque, and we’re coming for them,” said Bregman.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) — The Social Security Office released the most popular baby names for 2025 on Thursday. And here in New Mexico, we saw some familiar names top the charts once again.
Coming in at No. 1 for girls is Mia, and as for the boys, Noah ranks No. 1. That’s no change from 2024 when Mia and Noah also led the pack, both coming in at No 1. For 2025, there were a total of 66 babies named Mia and 115 babies named Noah, while in 2024, there were 81 Mias and 105 Noahs.
What do the names mean? Online sources list a few different interpretations for Mia, but one common association is with the Italian word “mia,” which means “mine.” As for Noah, the name is most commonly associated with the prominent bible figure. It’s thought to mean “rest,” or “comfort.”
Here’s a look at some of the other top baby names in New Mexico for 2025.
- Girls:
- Olivia (65 total)
- Sophia (65 total)
- Sofia (60 total)
- Camila (59 total)
- Eliana (57 total)
- Isabella (56 total)
- Amelia (53 total)
- Aria (45 total)
- Aurora (45 total)
- Boys:
- Liam (109 total)
- Mateo (99 total)
- Elijah (76 total)
- Santiago (70 total)
- Sebastian (69 total)
- Ezra (67 total)
- Elias (66 total)
- Ezekiel (66 total)
- Levi (69 total)
Nationally, Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names, and have been for the past seven years, according to the Social Security Administration. As for the fastest-rising names, Klarity jumped nearly 1,400 spots on the girls’ list, and Kasai jumped 1,108 for boy names.
Other names rising in popularity for boys include Atlas, Adriel, Emiliano, Arthur, and Archer. On the girls’ list, Ailany, Sienna, Amara, and Georgia are becoming more popular.
You can find the full list by state online.
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LAS CRUCES, N.M. — An ‘imposter nurse’ in Las Cruces is facing 34 charges after nearly causing the death of a patient and illegally giving medications to patients under 18 years old.
A Doña Ana County grand jury indicted Margarita Gonzalez. She is accused of assuming the identities of nurses in Texas to get hired at four nursing facilities in Las Cruces:
- Village at Northrise
- Las Cruces Wellness and Rehabilitation
- Peak Behavioral Health
- Matrix Home Care
The New Mexico Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau investigated and discovered instances where Gonzalez illegally gave injections and dispensed prescriptions, including narcotics to eight inpatient residents under 18 years old.
An investigation also found Gonzalez was also about to allegedly give “an incorrect insulin dose” to a patient that they claim could’ve killed the patient if another nurse hadn’t caught the error.
Several facilities fired Gonzalez over patient safety concerns and an observed lack of knowledge.
“Impersonating a healthcare provider is a reckless and selfish crime that subjects those most vulnerable to risk of serious injury or death,” Attorney General Raúl Torrez said. “I will not tolerate those who risk the safety of patients or cause danger and unnecessary confusion within the healthcare system. These charges should keep anyone attempting to pose as a healthcare provider on notice: we will find you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law to protect New Mexicans.”
Gonzalez’s charges include identity theft, nursing without a license, abuse of a resident, distribution of controlled substances to a minor and fraud totaling over $25,000.
If convicted on all counts, Gonzalez could face up to 100 years in prison.
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