Federal prosecutors complete largest racketeering case in New Mexico history targeting prison gang
Federal prosecutors say a decade-long case against the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gang led to charges against 178 members and associates and multiple life sentences.
Decade-long case against Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico leads to 178 charged, multiple life sentences
ALBUQUERQUE - Federal authorities have completed what prosecutors describe as the largest racketeering prosecution in New Mexico history, targeting the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gang.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced Monday that the case has concluded following recent sentencing hearings. The investigation and prosecution spanned more than a decade and resulted in state and federal charges against 178 members and associates.
Authorities said the gang operated as a violent criminal enterprise both inside prisons and in communities across New Mexico, using murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking and intimidation to maintain control.
Federal prosecutors brought charges under racketeering and violent crimes statutes, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the case included:
- 156 individuals federally indicted for 325 overt acts between 1980 and 2024
- Convictions tied to 13 murders committed inside and outside correctional facilities
- Six jury trials resulting in nine convictions
- 12 members sentenced to life in prison
Investigators used undercover drug and firearm purchases, confidential sources and court-authorized wiretaps to build the case.
Authorities also seized about $1.8 million in cash, more than 1.1 million fentanyl pills and 160 pounds of methamphetamine during federal search warrants executed in 2022.
Officials said the investigation also disrupted a 2015 plot to assassinate the New Mexico Corrections Department secretary and members of the New Mexico State Police.
“This case required years of patience, discipline and persistence,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison said in a statement.
FBI Albuquerque Special Agent in Charge Justin Garris said the case reflected a long-term effort to dismantle violent criminal activity tied to the gang.
"It is impossible to overstate the enormity of this investigation," Garris said. "For more than a decade, our team and partners stayed committed to dismantling violent crime and delivering justice for the victims and communities most impacted by this gang's violence."
Multiple federal, state and local agencies participated in the investigation. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Las Cruces branch handled the case.
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