County drug task force reports rising fentanyl and other drug seizures, urges continued support
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Summary
Commander Ortega and deputies briefed the commission on growing seizures of fentanyl, meth and cocaine and on cartel-linked activity; staff asked commissioners to continue resourcing the task force to maintain investigations and interagency operations.
County law-enforcement leaders told the Eddy County Commission on Feb. 10 that seizures of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine have increased and that investigations increasingly involve cartel-linked, multi-jurisdictional operations.
The task-force presentation (Commander Ortega was introduced by staff) described 2024–25 seizure trends: notable fentanyl volumes (speaker cited 26,000 grams and characterized that as roughly 78,000 'hits'), rising kilogram-level cocaine shipments, methamphetamine seizures and significant currency and firearms seizures. Presenters said much of the illicit supply traces to larger trafficking networks outside the county and that federal indictments are the principal means of securing long sentences for major players; they also said state-level penalties frequently result in repeat offenders returning quickly to the streets.
Commissioners asked about comparisons with other counties and what the public can do to help; presenters recommended continued support for the drug task force, training and equipment, and multi-agency cooperation. The board publicly thanked task-force members for their response during recent operations.
