Operation Black Sheep-Narcotics Warrant Roundup Took Place in Grant County

: Category: Front Page News Front Page News; Published: 22 March 2013 22 March 2013

Synopsis: Operation Black Sheep-Narcotics Warrant Roundup
Location: Grant County

Photos below.

On March 21, 2013, at 6:00am, Operation Black Sheep Warrant Roundup commenced. Operation Black Sheep was a four and a half month undercover narcotics operation conducted by the Silver City Police Department in conjunction with the Southwest Border Operations Task Force. A total of 38 officers and support personnel were involved in the warrant roundup. Other agencies assisting in the roundup were Homeland Security Investigation, the United States Marshal Services, and the Grant County Detention Center.

The operation was a great success and we are looking forward to doing more operations in the near future. We want to impact the narcotics sales in the Grant County area because the sales and use drives our property crimes such as burglaries, larcenies and, to lesser extent, shopliftings.

Undercover officers from the department made street level purchases of narcotics of various controlled substances. Additionally, some of the defendants were arrested on charges of possession of controlled substances with the majority of those being found in possession on traffic stops conducted during the same period. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit and personnel were involved in some of those traffic stops.

There was a total of 32 defendants developed resulting in a total of 37 warrants. There are 8 warrants for defendants still outstanding at the time of this release.

Those arrested during the warrant roundup are:

Luis Cordova, 29, Silver City, Trafficking Cocaine, Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine, Bond: $30,000
Wesley Farris, 34, Silver City, Trafficking Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, Bond: $30,000
Walter Larranaga, 41, Bayard, 3 Warrants: Trafficking Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, Bond: $50,000
Leeria Larranaga, 36, Bayard, 2 Warrants: Trafficking Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, Bond: $60,000
Salvador Vasquez, 33, Silver City, Distribution of Marijuana, Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Bond: $10,000,
Buddy Young, 24, Silver City, Possession with intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Bond: $6,000
Sergio Escobar, 57, Silver City, Distribution of Marijuana, Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Bond: $10,000
Ross Lucero, 41, Bayard, Distribution of Marijuana, Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Bond: $20,000
Thomas Teffertiller, 50, Arenas Valley, Trafficking Oxycodone, Conspiracy to Traffic Oxycodone, Bond: $60,000
Amber Simpson, 25, Silver City, Trafficking Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, Bond: $30,000
Bernice Miranda Ramos, 47, Silver City, Possession of a Controlled Substance: Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Bond: $6,000
Zayne Chavez, 18, Silver City, Trafficking Cocaine, Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine, Bond: $30,000
Gilbert Flores Jr, 25, Silver City, Trafficking Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, Bond: $30,000
Searra Crow, 18, Silver City, Possession of a Controlled Substance: Oxycodone and Methadone, $10,000
William D. Hix, 56, Silver City, Trafficking a Controlled Substance: Hydromorphone, Conspiracy to Traffic Hydromorphone, Bond: $30,000
Robert Villalobos, 35, Silver City, Trafficking Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Bond: $21,000
Elena Moon, 29, Silver City, Trafficking a Controlled Substance: Hydromorphone, Conspiracy to Traffic Hydromorphone, Bond: $30,000
Gregory Kras, 60, Silver City, Trafficking a Controlled Substance: Hydromorphone, Conspiracy to Traffic Hydromorphone, Bond: $30,000

Nick Martinez, 33, Silver City, 4 Warrants: Contempt of Court, Failure to Appear, Failure to Pay Fines Bond: $6,410. Martinez was not part of the roundup however it was known to the officers involved that he had several outstanding warrants.

Arnulfo Facio, 24, Silver City, Trafficking Cocaine, Possession of a Controlled Substance: Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Bond: $21,500

Ricardo Mendoza, 25, Silver City, Warrant: Contempt of Court, Failure to Pay Child Support, $7,557.08 Mendoza was not part of the roundup, however it was known to the officers involved that he had several outstanding warrants.

Angie Gibbons, 36, Silver City, Trafficking Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, Gibbons was also in possession at the time of arrest and the additional charges are: Possession of a Controlled Substance: Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Bond: $36,000
David Ruelaz, 31, Silver City, Possession with intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Bond: $6,000

Other arrests with no photos available:
Amanda Mosher, 21, Silver City, Possession of a Controlled Substance Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Bond: $6,000
Nicoli Tungate, 45, Hurley, Possession of a Controlled Substance Methamphetamine, Possession of a Controlled Substance Dextromanphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, $11,000. Tungate was served while in the Grant County Detention Center where she was being held on unrelated charges