OPINION: Thanks to stronger borders, New Mexico is safer

For years, New Mexico experienced firsthand the real-world consequences of a broken southern border. This lived reality overburdened local law enforcement, strained our health care services, and allowed a flood of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our state. 

Today, we have a very different story. Stronger border enforcement under the Trump administration has driven illegal crossings down to levels not seen in decades, resulting in a safer, more secure New Mexico. 

Look no further than our state’s two largest cities, Albuquerque and Las Cruces. According to official police department data, violent and property crime rates have dropped in Albuquerque, including shootings, robbery, aggravated assault and motor vehicle theft. In Las Cruces, the city has also reported drops in key violent crime categories. These data points echo the findings of the Council on Criminal Justice, which reported significant reductions in homicides, gun assaults, robberies and carjackings across much of the country in 2025. 

Equally significant has been the impact on drug-related activity. Federal agencies have reported major fentanyl seizures tied to enhanced enforcement efforts like Operation Take Back America. The operation, which took place across five states, including New Mexico, resulted in the dismantling of one of the most dangerous drug trafficking rings in the nation, with multiple arrests and seizures of fentanyl, cash, firearms and vehicles. For New Mexico, a state facing heartbreaking opioid addiction and overdose challenges, every disrupted shipment makes a difference. 

Another important shift under the Trump administration has been a renewed focus on targeting and removing individuals with serious criminal histories. In a 2025 New Mexico enforcement operation, federal officers took into custody 20 individuals who had been arrested or convicted of offenses including homicide, criminal sexual penetration, sexual assault, aggravated battery, drug trafficking, burglary and driving under the influence. When local law enforcement and federal agents are no longer overwhelmed by record levels of illegal crossings, they have greater capacity to prioritize those who pose a higher risk — criminals like Jesus Luis Cuevas-Pacheco. Pacheco was arrested by ICE in September 2025 in Las Cruces. He entered the U.S. illegally, and between 1994 and 2022, was arrested for sexual penetration of a child, narcotics and trafficking and domestic violence. Just this week, New Mexico State Police arrested Ruben Dario Gonzalez, who reportedly told police he is from Venezuela and is seeking asylum. Gonzalez allegedly posed as an Uber driver, then kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 13-year-old Rio Rancho girl.

Given these stories and many others, we cannot allow border security to become a partisan issue in New Mexico. At the height of the border crisis, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed support for more border agents and federal resources to crack down on trafficking and secure the border. Under the Trump administration, that is precisely what is happening.

The administration’s commitment to restoring order and security at our southern border reflects an America First vision grounded in safety and common sense. Deadly drugs are being removed from our streets, cartels that prey on the vulnerable are being disrupted and dismantled, dangerous criminals are being arrested, and we are reinforcing the basic principle that the rule of law still matters.

None of this ignores the reality that immigration is a complicated issue involving real people and real stories. But compassion and order are not opposing values, and a secure border is necessary for both. 

Thank you for securing the border, President Trump. 

Vince Torres serves as executive director of the America First Policy Institute’s New Mexico state chapter.