OAN Staff Abril Elfi
11:32 AM – Thursday, August 14, 2025
New Mexico Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared a state of emergency in one of her state’s counties, citing ongoing violence, drug trafficking, and rising crime that she says are straining local resources.
On Wednesday, Grisham (D-N.M.) declared a state of emergency in Rio Arriba County in New Mexico, which has long struggled with some of the nation’s highest opioid overdose death rates. The county stretches from the city of Española to the Colorado state line.
The Democrat governor emphasized that public safety threats have “overwhelmed local resources,” with local leaders pleading for more assistance in tackling the crises.
“When our local leaders called for help to protect their communities, we responded immediately with decisive action,” Grisham said in a statement. “We are making every resource available to support our local partners on the ground and restore public safety and stability to these areas that have been hardest hit by this crisis.”
The emergency declaration allocates $750,000 to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Emergency Management to coordinate response operations and provide assistance to the affected communities.
According to Grisham, a surge in criminal activity has resulted in increasing homelessness, family instability, and fatal drug overdoses, putting exceptional pressure on local governments and police agencies — which have requested more state assistance.
Grisham also stated that emergency calls in Española and adjacent regions have “more than doubled” in the last two years. Police dispatches to local companies have doubled in the same period as well.
The tribal governor of Santa Clara Pueblo, on the edge of Española, has since urged the state to address their growing public safety crisis, stemming from the overuse and abuse of fentanyl and alcohol in the community at large.
“The Pueblo has expended thousands of dollars trying to address this crisis… and to protect Pueblo children who are directly and negatively affected by a parent’s or guardian’s addiction,” said Santa Clara Gov. James Naranjo in a July letter to Lujan Grisham. “But we are not an isolated community and the causes and effects of fentanyl/alcohol abuse, increased crime and increased homelessness extend to the wider community.”
The state of emergency declaration drew support from New Mexico Republicans as well, creating a rare moment of bipartisan agreement.
“I am pleased that the governor is addressing the out-of-control crime in our community,” Española City Councilor Sam LeDoux said. It has long been overrun and not addressed. Fentanyl has overwhelmed our law enforcement, and this seems to be a step in the right direction to protecting our citizens.”
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