FBI says border crisis is spilling crime into New Mexico

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – It’s something we’ve heard about for years, a crisis along the United States and Mexico border. Now, the FBI in Albuquerque says that crisis is seeping into cities across the state increasing crime.

“‘Why so much violence?’, ‘Why so many guns?’, ‘Why drug trafficking is such a big problem here within the state?’, ‘Why is there so many overdoses’,” said Raul Bujanda, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque field office.

Those are just some of the questions Bujanda says the FBI Albuquerque Field office receives on a daily basis. “I want to address the problems that we see on our streets right which is gun violence, regular violence, when it comes to drug trafficking. I want to try to lessen those threats so that we can have a better society,” said Bujanda.

On Monday, Bujanda places the blame partly on security challenges at the border.

“Part of the problem that we have on the New Mexico side is we have an incomplete border. There is no structure that separates our country from Mexico,” said Bujanda.

He believes that many migrants are simply crossing in search of a better life. “Some of these folks are coming here that are trying to get away from something in their country,” said Bujanda.

KRQE Investigates looked into how groups take advantage of migrants as part of a two part series last year. “All this is organized. You know, you cannot come in illegally to the U.S. without paying what is known as some type of quota,” said U.S Border Patrol Agent Fidel Baca.

Bujanda says those are the people his office is focused on. “They’re already hardened criminals that are trying to come into our country. Well, what can we expect from these individuals? Exactly that they are going to continue with their criminal ways now in our streets,” said Bujanda.

Now, the FBI is asking for the public’s help after they say there has been an uptick in crime stemming from the border. “If we’re not addressing from where it starts to where it ends and to where it continues to go then we’re missing a big part of it,” said Bujanda.

Bujanda wouldn’t get into specifics about how his office is tackling the problem but he says New Mexicans can help by speaking up if they notice something odd in their neighborhood before the problem gets worse. “We have to trust each other that we will be able to, you give me some information, you call the FBI, we will do something with that information. It’s not just a see something say something we will turn around and do something about it,” said Bujanda.

Bujanda says tips can be called in at 1-800-CALL-FBI or sent in online.