Prosecutor in New Mexico prison gang case named as US Attorney for the state

A top federal prosecutor in the case against a notorious New Mexico prison gang has been named the United States Attorney for the state.

Ryan G. Ellison was appointed U.S. Attorney for New Mexico on Friday by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to take the spot left vacant by former top federal prosecutor Alexander Uballez.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of New Mexico in this role,” Ellison, a registered Republican, said in a release sent Friday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “For however long I serve as United States Attorney, my primary objective will be to keep New Mexicans safe through the vigorous enforcement of Federal law.”

Tessa DuBerry, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said Ellison “will spend a significant amount of time working in the Las Cruces Branch Office to coordinate the USAO’s prioritization of immigration and border-related offenses.”

She said the USAO headquarters will remain in Albuquerque.

The appointment of Ellison and prioritization of immigration come as border crossings in New Mexico have plummeted since Trump took office, from around 34,000 people in December to 1,627 in March, a 95% decrease.

Ellison, who was born and raised in Alamogordo, made his bones as the state’s assistant U.S. attorney in Las Cruces, one of three prosecutors who put away members of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico, or SNM, prison gang. Ellison also investigated and prosecuted a variety of cases, including racketeering, murder-for-hire and “various firearms, immigration, and national security offenses.”

In mid-February, Uballez resigned, telling the Journal he received notice of his firing by the Trump administration in his personal email account days after he was stripped of his government cellphone and computer access without prior notice or explanation.

Uballez, appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022, was among more than 20 other holdovers who were asked to step down as U.S. Attorneys after Trump took office.

In a statement, Ellison said, “Under my leadership, the United States Attorney’s Office will do its part to stem the unlawful flow of people and drugs into our country.”

“We will also not lose sight of our responsibility to combat violent crime, gang activity, child predators, and to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States’ civil interests,” he said. “... The United States Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly to make New Mexico a safer place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business. And we will make New Mexico a far less attractive place to commit a crime.”

The release states that Ellison attended the University of Arizona and Texas Tech University and worked in private practice and as an assistant district attorney in Texas before joining the Department of Justice.