New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency Wednesday for Rio Arriba County, the city of Española and surrounding Pueblo communities in response to what officials describe as an overwhelming surge in violent crime and drug trafficking that has strained local law enforcement resources.
The emergency declaration, issued through Executive Order 2025-358, authorizes up to $750,000 in state funding for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to coordinate response efforts and provide additional resources to the affected areas.
According to the governor’s office, police calls in Española and surrounding areas have more than doubled over the past two years, while dispatches to local businesses have quadrupled during the same period. The escalating crisis has been compounded by a severe drug epidemic, with Rio Arriba County currently recording the state’s highest overdose death rate as residents struggle with addiction to fentanyl and other illicit substances.
“When our local leaders called for help to protect their communities, we responded immediately with decisive action,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said in a statement. “We are making every resource available to support our local partners on the ground and restore public safety and stability to these areas that have been hardest hit by this crisis.”
The emergency declaration came at the request of local governments who indicated their resources had been overwhelmed by the public safety threats. Officials say the surge in criminal activity has contributed to increased homelessness, family instability and fatal drug overdoses, placing extraordinary strain on local police departments and government services.
The state of emergency will remain in effect until all authorized emergency funds are expended or state assistance is no longer deemed necessary by local authorities.
This is insane. We do not need armed white supremacists in masks showing up here. For years I have said the fascist NRA members would be shocked to find a well armed traditionally Democratic state. Huge mistake.