An Albuquerque resident has been taken into federal custody following the fatal shooting of a Pueblo of Isleta tribal member. The incident led to a public search by the FBI.
Court documents state that on January 9, 2026, officers from the Pueblo of Isleta Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at a residence in Bosque Farms, New Mexico, which is within the exterior boundaries of the Pueblo of Isleta. The officers found the victim, who was an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta, with gunshot wounds to his upper left chest. Despite efforts by police and emergency medical services, the victim died at the scene.
Witnesses reported that Bonifacio Silva, 18, who is not Native American, allegedly fired the shots during a confrontation that followed an earlier argument and physical altercation at the residence. Silva then fled with his pregnant girlfriend. During a traffic stop soon after, both reportedly gave false information to officers by claiming she was in labor and were released. Silva was later dropped off in Albuquerque.
On January 12, 2026, the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office issued a wanted poster asking for public assistance in locating Silva. He was arrested in Albuquerque later that day.
Silva faces charges of second degree murder and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He will remain in custody while awaiting trial; no trial date has been set. If convicted on these charges, he could receive between ten years and life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced these developments.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with support from the Pueblo of Isleta Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting.
"An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
