CIBOLA COUNTY — A sweeping investigation by The Guardian has revealed more serious allegations of drug smuggling, corruption, and violence inside the Cibola County Correctional Center (CCCC) — the privately run federal facility located in the Village of Milan, New Mexico.
According to documents obtained by the publication, the FBI has been investigating what it called a “drug trafficking epidemic” within the facility, citing involvement by organized crime groups, violent gangs, and even CoreCivic staff. The private company operates the prison under government contract and currently houses U.S. Marshals detainees, local county inmates, and a growing number of individuals detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The FBI, CoreCivic, ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security have all issued statements or declined to comment further. However, the company has acknowledged ongoing challenges and says it is cooperating with federal investigators.
The full investigation, titled “FBI investigates drug-trafficking ‘epidemic’ in prison also housing ICE detainees: ‘A lot of corruption’”, is available on The Guardian’s website and is the first in a three-part series.
Link to part one: theg uardian.com/usnews/2025/aug/05/fbi-drug-traffi cking-corecivic-cibola-prison