WASHINGTON — A New Mexico State Police K9 officer and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Group were presented with the 2023 U.S. Interdiction Coordinator (USIC) Award for Highway Interdictions July 19.
The USIC awards are given to recipients from law enforcement agencies across the country in several categories for their exemplary contributions to the counterdrug mission to reduce the supply of illicit substances in our communities.
On Sept. 13, 2023, at about 3:55 a.m., Police K9 Officer Julian Armijo — who is also an HSI HIDTA Task Force officer — initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for a traffic violation. Armijo learned the female driver and male passenger were traveling from Phoenix to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Through investigation, Armijo located 10.5 kilograms of fentanyl tablets in the vehicle.
Upon making the discovery, HSI special agents responded to assist with the investigation. Subsequent investigation by an HSI criminal analyst implicated the passenger, Nathen Garley, in a shooting that resulted in the murder of an 11-year-old child, and critically injured his cousin outside of Isotopes Park in Albuquerque.
“I am extremely proud of the work my officers do across this great state every day. That work is exemplified by Officer Julian Armijo and what it means to be a New Mexico State Police officer,” said New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler. “Not only did Officer Armijo stop fentanyl from being brought to our state and poisoning our communities, but thanks to our partnership with HSI we also took a wanted murderer off our streets.”
“HSI’s robust working relationships with law enforcement partners such as the New Mexico State Police are contributing to making the communities where we live and work, safer for all its citizens,” said acting HSI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens. “This award exemplifies our collaborative efforts. A fugitive wanted for murder is behind bars, and our special agents and officers prevented more fentanyl from entering the drug distribution supply chain and inevitably harming the public.”
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.