KRQE Newsfeed: Feds contact church, Robbers sentenced, Breezier and drier, Offenders escape, Orbit awarded
What's happening around New Mexico March 28-April 3
Sandia National Labs working with Albuquerque police to fight crime
Youth leaders in northern NM work to issue grants to community organizations
Witness shares experience of helping shooting victim in Las Cruces
World championship triathlon expected to bring tens of millions of dollars to Ruidoso
The Latest: Major earthquakes strike Myanmar and Thailand
[1] Albuquerque church gets letter from Homeland Security over El Paso shelter – Bishop Michael Hunn of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande said the Albuquerque church has operated a shelter in El Paso for the last few years in partnership with Border Patrol. He said agents would bring migrants to the shelter who claimed asylum and passed credible interviews while they await a court hearing. The partnership with the government is why the church was shocked when it received a letter from the U.S. Department Of Homeland Security expressing concern of 'illegal activities' at the shelter. The letter also accuses the shelter of 'harboring' or 'shielding' 'illegal aliens' from authorities. The letter also asks church leadership to sign an affidavit saying they have no knowledge of illegal activity and to hand over the names and addresses of people they helped. The church is speaking with attorneys and others within their network who received the same letter to see how to proceed
[2] Pair involved in robbery turned murder in Albuquerque sentenced – Two people who were involved in a robbery gone wrong, leading to a man being murdered, were sentenced for their crimes Thursday afternoon. Samantha Shull and Jeffrey Contreras showed up at Mario Delgado Jr.'s trailer near Wyoming Blvd. and Zuni Rd. in February 2021. They demanded money, and then Contreras shot him three times, killing him. Shull was sentenced to ten years for her crimes. Judge Brit Baca gave her a light sentence for testifying against Contreras. He was sentenced to life for Delgado's murder with an additional 15 years for the other crimes.
[3] Dustier & warmer weather out east, cooler in western NM – Southwesterly winds will pick up a little Friday afternoon, especially in western New Mexico where gusts up to 40 mph are possible. This will bring in drier air and an elevated fire danger across the state. It will also bring in even warmer temperatures across New Mexico as well. Breezy to gusty winds are going to be the story for the next several days starting Friday. A cold front moves in Friday evening, bringing high temperatures back down to around average for this time of year this weekend.
[4] ABQ Crime Stoppers searches for duo who removed electronic monitoring devices – Authorities are asking the public for help as they search for two offenders they say are on the run. According to Crime Stoppers, Antonio Serna and Mary Maes removed their ankle monitors and fled from a halfway house. If you know where they are or have any information, contact Crime Stoppers by calling 505-843-STOP.
[5] Orbit named Best Minor League Baseball Mascot by USA Today – Albuquerque Isotopes mascot, Orbit, won USA Today's Best Minor League Baseball Mascot Championship. Last year, Orbit made it to third place, but this week, Orbit was named top dog. Orbit himself issued a statement saying, 'Thanks to all the fans for spreading the love and getting folks from all across the country to vote for me.'
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The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
There are many illegal marijuana farms, but federal agents targeted California's biggest legal one
LOS ANGELES (AP) — There are thousands of illegal marijuana farms around the country. But when the federal government decided to stage one of its largest raids since President Donald Trump took office in January, it picked the biggest legal grower in California. Nearly two weeks later, the reason for the federal raid at two Glass House farm sites northwest of Los Angeles remains unclear and has prompted speculation. Some say the raid was intended to send a chilling message to immigrants in the U.S. illegally — but also to rattle the state's legal cannabis industry. Meanwhile, the Republican Trump administration has been feuding with heavily Democratic California over funding for everything from high-speed rail construction to wildfire relief, so it's also possible Glass House was pulled into a broader conflict between the White House and Sacramento. 'There are plenty of other places they can go to find illegal workers,' said political consultant Adam Spiker, who advises cannabis companies. 'A lot of people believe there is a hint of politics in this. It's federal enforcement coming into California to go after cannabis.' What happened during the raids? On July 10, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents executed a search warrant for Glass House's farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo, court filings show. At the Camarillo site, armored vehicles blocked the road, which is lined with fields and greenhouses, as masked agents deployed onto the property. One farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof while running to hide later died from his injuries. Outside the farm, officers faced off with demonstrators and fired tear gas to disperse them, a federal agent wrote in court filings. One demonstrator threw a gas canister back at Border Patrol officers, according to the agent. Another demonstrator, who is sought by the FBI, appeared to fire a gun. More than 360 people were arrested, most suspected of being in the country without legal status. Those arrested included four U.S. citizens, including U.S. Army veteran George Retes, 25, who works as a security guard and was held for three days. The operation came more than a month into an extended crackdown across Southern California that was originally centered in Los Angeles, where local officials say the federal actions are spreading fear in immigrant communities. Why Glass House? No cannabis was seized and the criminal search warrants used to enter the farm sites are under court seal. Authorities refused to share them with The Associated Press. The government said the business was being investigated for potential child labor, human trafficking and other abuses. Agents found 14 children at one site. No information has been released about the minors. The company has not been charged. Federal and state laws allow children as young as 12 to work in agriculture under certain conditions, though no one under age 21 is allowed to work in the cannabis industry. Company officials did not respond to calls or emails. In a brief statement on the social platform X, Glass House said it complied with immigration and naturalization warrants and 'has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors.' Some believe the raid was aimed at the legal marijuana market After the raid, United Farm Workers — the country's biggest farm worker union — posted an urgent message to its social media accounts warning that because marijuana is illegal under federal law, workers who are not U.S. citizens should avoid jobs in the cannabis industry, including state-licensed facilities. 'We know this is unfair,' it said, 'but we encourage you to protect yourself and your family.' Industry experts point to unwelcome publicity the company received after rival Catalyst Cannabis Co. filed a 2023 lawsuit alleging that Glass House 'has become one of the largest, if not the largest, black marketers of cannabis in the state of California.' The lawsuit, formally filed by Catalyst parent 562 Discount Med Inc., was dismissed last year but the headlines might have drawn the interest of federal investigators. Who runs the Glass House farm sites? The company was co-founded by Kyle Kazan, a former Southern California police officer and special education teacher turned cannabis investor, and Graham Farrar, a Santa Barbara tech entrepreneur. Glass House started growing cannabis in a greenhouse in Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County when once-thriving cut flower operations were being reduced. It later bought property in Camarillo in neighboring Ventura County for $93 million that had six greenhouses and was being used to grow tomatoes and cucumbers. To date, two of the greenhouses have been converted to grow cannabis. Workers' relatives said tomatoes are still being grown in other greenhouses at the location. How did Glass House do it? The raids have put the spotlight on a company that is alternately admired and reviled because of its meteoric rise in the nation's largest legal market. Glass House is the state's biggest legal cultivator, dwarfing its nearest rivals. Glass House Farms is part of the broader company Glass House Brands, which has other businesses that make cannabis products. 'There is no farmer in California that can compete with them at scale,' Sacramento-based cannabis consultant Sam Rodriguez said. Many legal operators have struggled despite the passage of Proposition 64 in 2016 — which was seen as a watershed moment in the push to legitimize and tax California's multibillion-dollar marijuana industry. In 2018, when retail outlets could open, California became the world's largest legal marketplace. But operators faced heavy taxes, seven-figure start-up costs and for many consumers, the tax-free illegal market remained a better deal. But as other companies folded, Glass House took off, fueling envy and suspicion by rivals over its boom at a time when much of the state's legal market was in crisis, in large part because of competition from the robust underground market. In a recent call with investors, Kazan said company revenue in the first quarter hit $45 million — up 49% over the same period last year. He said he remained hopeful for a federal shift that would end marijuana's classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. But 'we are a company that does not require federal legalization for survival,' Kazan said. Glass House's sales grew as many others around the state declined. 'I remain steadfast in the belief that it is not if but when the cannabis industry becomes America's next massive normalized industry, and I'm excited to participate along with investors in the corresponding reward that that change will bring,' he said.
Fox News
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WATCH LIVE: Trump's promise hits Capitol Hill: Senate targets ‘criminal aliens' in sweeping security push
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Over $330,000 worth of street drugs seized as police serve search warrants in Metro Detroit
Over $330,000 worth of street drugs was confiscated after law enforcement served search warrants in Detroit, Melvindale and Dearborn, the Michigan State Police reported. The searches took place Thursday, led by the Metro Narcotics Enforcement Team. Assisting agencies include the MSP Second District Headquarters, MSP's Metro South Post, the Border Patrol Tactical Unit with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the Downriver Special Weapons & Tactics Team. The items confiscated included over 700 grams of cocaine, 120 grams of crack cocaine, 77 grams of fentanyl, 50 grams of heron and six firearms. One of the firearms was stolen. In addition, over 10,000 pills of assorted drugs such as hyrocodone and oxycodone were confiscated. There also was over $30,000 in cash and $83,000 in assets seized with intent to forfeit. "Great work by our narcotics detectives to not only get these dangerous drugs off the street, but also these firearms," said F/Lt. Mike Shaw. "These is another example of cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement working together to keep Michiganders safe." The work on this case was supported by the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance (JAG) grant program, which is awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs and U.S. Department of Justice; then administered by the Michigan State Police. The investigation is continuing.
