Warrant roundup nets 140 arrests

Sun-News report
Posted: 09/27/2011 12:31:38 AM MDT

LAS CRUCES - The U. S. Marshals Service orchestrated the largest fugitive warrant roundup in the history of New Mexico over the weekend.

More than 350 law enforcement officers, including deputy marshals from as far away as Alaska, Pennsylvania and Florida, assisted in the operation.

"We made a concerted effort to reach out to the law enforcement community, local, state and federal agencies in an effort to capture the most violent offenders, gang members and sex offenders," said U. S. Marshal Conrad Candelaria, "and as a result, we arrested 140 fugitives and closed approximately 200 warrants."

Two of the more notable arrests involve New Mexico Most Wanted gang offender Andres Juarez Garcia and Albuquerque Police Department Most Wanted Property Crime offender Martha Lewis-Aragon. Garcia was arrested in Ruidoso, and Lewis-Aragon was arrested in Veguita.

Also during the operation, law enforcement seized 10 grams of methamphetamine, 36 marijuana plants and two firearms.

Operation Zia was conducted Friday through Sunday, with law enforcement officers working 12-hour days. The U.S. Marshals Service teamed up with every sheriff's department in the state, plus the Department of Public Safety, New Mexico State Police, the state Attorney General's Office, U.S. Attorney's Office, local police departments, the state department of probation and parole, Crime Stoppers and several Native American tribal police departments to apprehend career criminals with outstanding warrants in all 33 counties in the state of New Mexico.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_18984987