Sting operation snares 10 in Santa Fe County jail drug smuggling ring

SANTA FE — The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office devised a sting operation at the Santa Fe County jail this summer that resulted in charges against 10 detainees and non-detainees accused of smuggling Suboxone into the facility, according to court records.

A statement of probable cause states that 38-year-old detainee Pedro Talamante and his brother Diego Talamante, 33, collected payments via CashApp from people incarcerated at the facility in exchange for strips of the drug, which is commonly prescribed to treat opioid-use disorder but can be abused.

Pedro Talamante faces conspiracy to commit bringing contraband into jail and conspiracy to commit distribution of a controlled substance, fourth-degree felonies, while his brother is charged with bringing contraband into jail and conspiracy to commit distribution of a controlled substance, also fourth-degree felonies.

Eight others face charges tied to the purported smuggling scheme, including Alicia Quintana, 42; Jeremiah Quintana, 19; James Jochem, 51; Davonne Romero, 27; Clarence Martinez-Sepulveda, 22; Omar Marrufo, 35; Frank Mares, 42; and Cynthia Hernandez, 35.

A combination of the drugs buprenorphine and naloxone, Suboxone is a prescription medication used to treat opioid use disorder. It is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance and “has a potential for misuse,” according to American Addiction Centers.

Investigators say the defendants used code words, like “ribbons” and “dollars,” to refer to the Suboxone, while “birthday party” referred to their plans to bring the substance into the jail. Investigators had become familiar with the jargon over the course of other drug smuggling busts at the Santa Fe County jail in recent years.

“Through prior investigations similar to this one, the language used in the telephone calls were in reference to intent of orchestrating and bringing contraband into the jail facility,” a statement of probable cause for Diego Talamante reads.

According to court records, jail guards detected an “anomaly” while conducting a body scan of Talamante on June 26 after he was booked on a probation violation warrant.

After placing the 33-year-old in solitary confinement, deputies directed a jail worker to go undercover as a jail “porter” and then approach Talamante to retrieve what they suspected was a package of Suboxone he had smuggled into the detention center.

“At that time, Diego is seen on CCTV retrieving the substance from his cavity and sliding it under the door,” the probable cause statement reads.

In a similar case in July 2024, 11 people were charged with smuggling methamphetamine and Suboxone into the jail after investigators reviewed phone calls made from the facility.