Recent social media posts and articles have brought attention to an incident involving members of the Grant County Sheriff's Office. In the interest of transparency and public trust, I would like to offer clarification regarding this matter.

The case in question involves Deputy Alejandro Gomez, Sgt. Brandon Reese, Deputy Cesar Torres, and Deputy Marcus Salas. Once the Sheriff's Office became aware of the situation, we acted swiftly and responsibly. All involved personnel were immediately reassigned to different shifts while an investigation was initiated.

Due to the nature of the allegations, the internal investigation was outsourced to an external agency to ensure impartiality. At no point did I, nor any member of my executive staff, interfere with the investigative process.

Subsequently, criminal charges were filed by the New Mexico State Police. Following this, Deputy Alejandro Gomez was placed under administrative leave, which remains ongoing pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.

I want to assure the citizens of Grant County that I, as your Sheriff, do not condone misconduct of any kind. I have taken every possible step to address the situation and ensure accountability within the department. While I cannot personally oversee every action taken by those serving in the field, my command staff and I are committed to guiding our deputies to uphold the highest standards of conduct.

This incident is deeply unfortunate, but please know that the Grant County Sheriff's Office is working closely with all involved agencies to reach a just and appropriate resolution.

If any member of the public has questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out and speak with me directly.

Sincerely,
Raul Villanueva
Sheriff, Grant County Sheriff's Office