Cibola’s War on Drugs

Cibola Narcotics Taskforce Targets Fentanyl Dealers

  • Cibola’s War on Drugs
    Cibola’s War on Drugs
  • Cibola’s War on Drugs
    Cibola’s War on Drugs
  • Cibola’s War on Drugs
    Cibola’s War on Drugs

Ryan Tietjen An early morning raid on August 19 shook the East High Street area. The raid occurred around 6 a.m. Agents with the Cibola Narcotics Taskforce successfully arrested Ryan Tietjen after weeks of investigation on suspicion of drug trafficking. Agents believe that the fentanyl collected during this raid will match up with the fentanyl used in a series of recent drug overdoses in the county. Courtesy Photo After an early morning raid on East High Street in Grants, the Cibola Narcotics Task Force managed to seize an undisclosed amount of fentanyl, methamphetamine, ammunition, a .45 caliber handgun, and an undisclosed amount of cash. The white balls in the photo, just above the money, are balls of methamphetamine. The small blue pills to the left of the money are fentanyl pills. The yellow device to the left of the pills is a scale to weigh drugs, and the bag beneath that are what law enforcement calls “distribution bags” where dealers keep drugs that have already been separated for easy sales. Courtesy Photo

Diego Lopez, Reporter

GRANTS, N.M. – After a string of overdoses in Cibola County, the Narcotics Task Force set its gaze on large dealers in the county. Working with federal partners, the task force has serious weight, it combines the resources of several law enforcement agencies in Cibola to keep drugs from hitting the streets. The task force managed to arrest Grants, New Mexico, man, 49-year-old Ryan Tietjen of Ramah, N.M., on suspicion of narcotics trafficking. The Cibola County Sheriff’s Office tackles narcotic trafficking on Interstate 40 and inside the communities of Cibola, they work well with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations who support the agency’s efforts by alerting them to possible traffickers coming through town and assisting with narcotic search and seizure operations.

This combination of resources is not, in itself, enough to tackle the narcotics situation in Cibola County. Out of necessity, the Cibola Narcotics Taskforce was born. The task force combines resources from a number of law enforcement agencies in Cibola, including CCSO, Milan Police Department, DHS Investigations, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration; and occasionally the Security Threat Intelligence Units – STIU – from Cibola’s correctional facilities. Occasionally, the task force teams up with the Bernalillo and McKinley County Sheriff’s Offices to better handle interstate trafficking.

The Arrest

Dew still covered the changing leaves in the City of Grants when agents with the Cibola Narcotics Taskforce moved in to apprehend a man they suspected of fentanyl trafficking. The operation did not happen overnight, however, weeks of investigation went into this effort. The team came together after a string of overdoses were followed by an overdose death in Grants. Despite their best efforts at preventative policing, a bad batch of drugs slipped through law enforcement’s efforts to protect the community. The Narcotics Task Force went straight to work, they identified that an unregistered smoke shop on E. High Street was a major hub for drug trafficking, and they went to shut it down. Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace said that there is a high probability the fentanyl seized during Aug. 19’s operation will be the same as the fentanyl that was used in the overdoses. With assistance from federal partners, the task force spent over $1,000 on fentanyl over an undisclosed number of weeks. They made multiple drug buys, before finally deciding to move in and take down a drug dealer. Because the shop was so close to St. Theresa’s Catholic School, and there are other businesses in that shopping strip, the task force needed to brainstorm a way to effectively move in and make the arrest. They began with a threat assessment. On the threat assessment scale, a suspect can score as high as a 24, Tietjen scored a 22. This was because law enforcement knew he had a firearm, and the drug operation was close to a school.

After determining the best course of action was to move early in the morning to avoid disruptions to the day or to the school schedule, the Narcotics Task Force moved forward.

With 15 officers from a combination of police agencies, this team included CCSO, MPD, DHS Investigations, DEA, Bureau of Indian Affairs Narcotics Agent. They moved in and swiftly apprehended Tietjen with no issues.

They found Tietjen with a .45 caliber handgun and ammunition, because he is a felon it is illegal for him to carry a firearm, and the seized an undisclosed amount of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cash, and ammunition for the handgun.

Protecting Cibola

Sheriff Mace said that his top priority is the safety of the community. This is a sentiment shared between agencies in the task force. As a member of Congresswoman Yvette Herrell’s law enforcement committee, Sheriff Mace was able to sit in on a federal briefing where he learned that Fentanyl is generally developed in China, where the drug is then sent to Mexico so cartels can package and cut it. From there, the majority of fentanyl in New Mexico comes from the US-Mexico border and is trafficked to various points. Interstate 40 is commonly called “The Drug Corridor” by federal agencies like the Drug Enforcement Agency, because Cibola – specifically Grants and Milan – is a stop on the way to Albuquerque, local law enforcement agencies tend to stop a vehicle for a speeding infraction and end up finding a batch of illegal narcotics.

While law enforcement cannot stop every instance of drug trafficking, Sheriff Mace said his office will continue its work to protect Cibola and stop the flow of drugs into the community.