Multi-agency Border Operations Task Force had 26 warrants to serve on Thursday.

A National Guard helicopter circled over Deming early Thursday morning as agents of the Border Operations Task Force, armed with 26 warrants, took 14 people into custody on drug-related charges or bench warrants, the Deming Headlight reported.

The task force, composed of local, state and federal agents and funded with High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) money, was assisted in the early-Thursday sweep by State Police officers and narcotics agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the New Mexico National Guard, the Headlight reported.

Larry Lutonsky, task force director, told the Headlight that most of the warrants were for drug-related offenses but a few were bench warrants.

Arrested on methamphetamine-trafficking charges were Ismael Carbajal, 20; Victor Denogean, 21; Lara E. Spears, 24; and Leonore Holguin, 31, the Headlight reported.

Facing trafficking and conspiracy charges are Gilbert Martinez, 43, and Mary Ann Turner (a/k/a Mary Ann Brown), 54, while Alba Dominguez, 57, and Isidro Gonzalez, 51 were arrested for trafficking cocaine, the paper said.

Denise Williams, 47, was arrested for cocaine trafficking and conspiracy, while Gabriel Dominguez, 25, was accused of conspiracy.

Luis Armendariz, 28, was arrested on a failure-to-appear warrant; Mario Padilla, 19, was wanted as a fugitive from justice; Johnny Wheeler, 27, was arrested on a magistrate court bench warrant; and Abraham Galindo, no age given, was wanted on a bench warrant from state District Court.

"We'll still be looking for some of the people," Lutonsky said after the sweep was done for all practical purposes by mid-day Thursday, the Headlight reported.