Five Department of War legal personnel have been assigned to the Las Cruces Office of the District of New Mexico, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. The group includes three Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys (SAUSAs) and two Senior Paralegal Specialists who will be supervised by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
These SAUSAs are tasked with prosecuting federal crimes along New Mexico’s section of the U.S./Mexico border, focusing on immigration violations, narcotics offenses, firearms cases, and human smuggling.
"This assignment strengthens the District of New Mexico’s partnership with the U.S. Military and supports ongoing national efforts to deploy additional Department of War and Department of Justice personnel to the southern border. It also represents an important step toward the administration’s stated objective of achieving 100 percent operational control of the southern border by increasing prosecutorial capacity in a key border district," said Ellison.
The initiative comes as part of broader national efforts to increase enforcement at the southern border and is intended to boost prosecutorial resources in a region that faces significant challenges related to cross-border crime.
Ellison noted that "under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico." He added that increased enforcement has led to apprehensions involving individuals engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against children.
The District covers 33 counties and shares approximately 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Prosecutors based in Albuquerque and Las Cruces collaborate closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies on immigration-related prosecutions as well as other federal crimes.
