Latest news with #ElPasoSheriffsOffice
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Meth bust, over 50 arrests, 300 traffic stops in El Paso County Fourth of July operation
El Paso County's "Safe Streets Operation" netted more than 50 arrests, issued 128 citations and saw no traffic fatalities over the Fourth of July 2025 holiday weekend, the Sheriff's Office said. Sheriff Oscar Ugarte praised the multi-agency operation led by the Sheriff's Office as a safe and successful effort that concluded with no deaths, no major crashes and no shootings in the county. More news: El Paso Fire Department Water Rescue Team continues to help in Texas floods The "Safe Streets Operation" included sheriff's deputies, county constables, state troopers and police from El Paso, Socorro, Horizon City, Clint, Anthony (Texas) and the San Elizario Marshal's Office. "Keeping our streets safe takes collaboration, commitment, and proactive policing," Ugarte said in a statement. "Thanks to the teamwork of our Sheriff's Office and local and state law enforcement partners, we ended the holiday weekend with over 50 arrests and, most importantly, no serious incidents." The operation was a two-pronged plan involving the countywide DWI Task Force and high-visibility patrols in the Red Sands desert off-roading area, located off Montana Avenue east of the El Paso city limits. Here's a glance at "Safe Streets Operation" numbers for the Independence Day holiday weekend, provided by the Sheriff's Office: Traffic stops: 381 Warnings: 374 Citations: 128 Total arrests: 53 DWI-related arrests: 29 Parole violation arrests: 10 Those arrested ranged in age from 17 to 68, according to information from the Sheriff's Office. Driving while intoxicated charges made up more than half of the arrests. There were also 10 arrests on parole violations. There were several other arrests on charges such as drug possession, family violence, and one case each of smuggling of persons, reckless driving, and disorderly conduct, including the display/discharge of a firearm. In a notable case, a pound of methamphetamine was seized after a traffic stop turned into a chase that began in Socorro during "Safe Streets Operation," the Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The case began when deputies attempted to pull over a green Saturn vehicle for defective equipment on Saturday, July 5, in the 700 block of Horizon Boulevard in Socorro, the Sheriff's Office reported. The driver, Cesar Alfredo Galindo, 44, is accused of refusing to stop as he kept driving through Socorro, Clint and Fabens, attempting to elude deputies. The driver eventually stopped in the desert north of Fabens, north of Interstate 10, by Hacienda Road near South Fabens-Carlsbad Road, best known as the road to Cattleman's Steakhouse. Deputies found 1.1 pounds of meth with an estimated street value of $5,000 per pound, the Sheriff's Office said. Crime: Masked burglars bust into East El Paso smoke shop, steal nearly $3,000 in merch Galindo was arrested on charges of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and evading arrest in a vehicle. He remained jailed Monday on a bond totaling $80,000 at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown. "Let this be a message to anyone thinking about running from law enforcement — if you evade from our deputies, you will be caught," Ugarte said in a statement. "Our Safe Streets Operation was found to be successful, and we're committed to keeping drugs and criminals off our streets." Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@ and @BorundaDaniel on X. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso 'Safe Streets Operation' nets 50 arrests on 4th of July holiday
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Border Officers Intercept Enough Cocaine To Kill 17,000 People Near El Paso
Customs and Border Protection officers interrupted a cocaine smuggling network near El Paso. 'Our homeland security mission is never ending and every drug load that we prevent from reaching its intended destination makes a difference,' said Roy Provencio, port director for CBP El Paso, in a press release. CBP officers at the Bridge of the Americas seized 45.2 pounds of cocaine – enough to overdose more than 17,000 people – on May 27, according to the release. The drugs were hidden in a car driven by an American citizen. A 20-year-old woman arrived from Mexico at the border crossing in a 2016 Hyundai Elantra at 8 a.m., according to the release. A CBP officer sent the vehicle for a 'secondary exam.' 'A CBP drug-sniffing dog searched the car and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics,' the release reads. Officers found 'several wrapped bundles' in the car's 'rocker panels' – below the vehicle doors and between the wheels – according to the release. An X-ray confirmed 'anomalies in the left and right rocker panels.' Ultimately, CBP officers removed 19 bundles of cocaine from the hidden compartments. They arrested the woman, who they turned over to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office to face charges. 'Every day our dedicated CBP workforce stands guard protecting our community from any and all threats,' Provencio said in the release. Officials are pursuing charges for 'manufacturing/delivery of controlled substance,' CBP Public Affairs Specialist Roger Maier told The Dallas Express. Maier declined to provide the woman's identity and referred further questions to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. The Dallas Express contacted the sheriff's office, but a staff member at the jail declined to comment.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sheriff's Office warns about scam involving impersonators
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is warning the public about a scam involving individuals impersonating members of the agency's command staff. Scammers have been contacting community members while falsely claiming to represent the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, EPCSO said. These individuals are using the real names and titles of command staff in an attempt to appear legitimate and are soliciting money from unsuspecting victims under false pretenses, the Sheriff's Office said. 'The El Paso County Sheriff's Office does not contact individuals to request or accept money for any reason,' the Sheriff's Office said in its news release. Any such request — whether by phone, text, email, or social media — is a scam, the Sheriff's Office said. Law enforcement agencies will never ask for payment via wire transfer, prepaid gift cards, payment apps, or cryptocurrency, the Sheriff's Office said. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be with the Sheriff's Office who is requesting money: Do not provide personal or financial information. End the conversation immediately. Report the incident to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office at (915) 273-3800. 'We encourage everyone to remain vigilant and help us share this message to prevent further victimization in our community,' the Sheriff's Office said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
