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Albuquerque DA says state funding of local prosecutors and Organized Crime Commission is key to reducing trafficking and violent crime
Summary
Second Judicial District Attorney told the committee his office has added staff and secured convictions in high-profile investigations and urged continued funding for prosecutor hires, supplemental staff and the governor’s Organized Crime Commission, which he said is yielding results against trafficking and human smuggling.
Second Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman told the House Appropriations & Finance Committee that sustained state funding for prosecutors and the governor’s Organized Crime Commission would directly reduce trafficking and violent crime in Albuquerque and across the state.
What he said: Bregman described a multi-year hiring push that added 170 staff and 74 attorneys to his office since he took over. He credited additional state funding with increased capacity to try major cases, listing nearly 280 murder convictions and multiple cold-case convictions in recent years. He told the committee his office would continue hiring if funding is available and asked for supplemental recurring funding to retain staff.
Organized Crime Commission and human trafficking: Bregman described the governor’s Organized Crime Commission as an effective state-level response and credited it with recent investigative successes. He urged full funding for the governor’s request for organized-crime resources and highlighted the economic scale of human trafficking as a cartel revenue source, noting that a single discovered cross‑border tunnel was estimated by law enforcement to have moved thousands of people and generated millions for traffickers.
Funding requests and details - Bregman said the Second Judicial District sought supplemental funding; the executive recommended $1 million and the LFC recommended $500,000 in recurring or supplemental funding (committee discussion followed about the appropriate amount). He said the office had a 10% vacancy rate and would hire more attorneys if funds were available. - Bregman also asked lawmakers to consider continuing or expanding investments in prosecution capacity to sustain trial operations and complex investigations.
Ending: The committee adopted LFC recommendations for DA budgets generally and asked analysts to provide consolidated numbers for DA supplemental requests. Lawmakers said they would weigh organized‑crime funding as part of broader public safety deliberations.
