Catron County detains 69 undocumented individuals

It has been a long week for the Catron County Sheriff’s office.

As of Monday 69, undocumented individuals were turned over to the United States Border Patrol (USBP) and nine vehicles were impounded.

It all started last Tuesday, May 14, when Deputy Eddie Taylor stopped to aid two vehicles stopped on Highway 12 just north of Greens Gap. One of the vehicles had a flat tire and the deputy stopped to help.

However, what he encountered was something a bit different. Twenty-one undocumented individuals were detained with the help of another Catron County deputy. All the individuals were turned over to the USBP for further investigation.

Later in the day, Undersheriff R.D. Hayes conducted a traffic stop for a traffic violation on Highway 12 near San Flat Road. The vehicle was traveling with two other vehicles. Hayes was able to get assistance from New Mexico Game and Fish to get all three vehicles stopped.

Twenty-one undocumented individuals were turned over to the USBP for further investigation and processing.

At 2:30 a.m., on Sunday, May 19, Catron County Sheriff Keith Hughes was advised by the county’s dispatch of a pursuit on US Highway 180 involving a Grant County Sheriff’s deputy heading towards Catron County. New Mexico State Police told Hughes three vehicles were involved and they attempted to box the Grant County Deputy’s vehicle in and attempted to run the vehicle off the road.

“I did choose to pursue due to the facts of the violent actions that they took against Grant County, which I deem it to be violent when you are trying to push people off the road,” Hughes said.

Grant County called off the pursuit once they had reached Catron County. Sheriff Hughes encountered two vehicles matching the description between Greens Cap and Horse Springs. The vehicles then split up with the first one leaving at a high rate of speed while the other vehicle attempted to block him