Jail Officer Help Inmates Move Drug Illegally into the Detention Center
According to the Attorney’s Office, seven individuals alongside a former jail officer will go before the court under the charges related to a plot to move drugs illegally into a detention facility in southern New Mexico.
As stated by the county spokesperson, in February Joe Anthony (46) quit his job at the Detention Center in Doña Ana County after an interview with FBI agents took place.
Federal prosecutors noted that three inmates had asked their girlfriends to organize a delivery of drugs to Garcia, who would then smuggle them into the building.
Based on the news released by the Attorney’s Office, Aaron Reed, an inmate, mentioned to his girlfriend, Ashley Silva, that he met an officer in jail who was willing to smuggle drugs into the building for $250. The other two prisoners, Jose Caro and Dominic Garcia, asked their girlfriends to bring the opioids to Silva.
Angel Ortega brought Silva buprenorphine on January 24. Two days later, Marie Cadney met Silva in Las Cruces and provided her with a mix of buprenorphine and meth. Then, Silva encountered Joe Garcia and gave drugs to him. Prosecutors made it known that Silva talked about the transactions over the cellphone with Reed and the others and gave Joe Garcia narcotics hidden in balloons of various colors.
On Monday, Fernando Macias, a County Manager, released a statement asserting that the drug smuggling situation was alarming. The defendants are charged with being a part of a conspiracy of dealing out substances and a conspiracy of giving banned objects to prisoners. Cadney, Ortega, and Silva are each being charged with distribution of buprenorphine, while Silva and Cadney will face other charges, such as the distribution of meth.
Joe Garcia is charged with possession and plans to distribute, and attempts to offer banned objects to a prisoner.
