July homicide drew FBI attention to Las Vegas
Agents and officers from several law enforcement agencies executed more than 20 search warrants on Sept. 19, raiding multiple homes and one business in Las Vegas. The raids were part of a federal investigation that began nearly five years ago, but recently-unsealed court documents reveal that Las Vegas wasn’t a target of the investigation until the July 22 slaying of Leroy “Smurf” Lucero.
The raids in Las Vegas were part of two separate federal investigations, one by the FBI, the other by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The focus of the FBI investigation was to disrupt the growth and influence of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gang. The DEA investigation focused on a drug trafficking organization allegedly run by Robert Corbin Padilla of Albuquerque.
Though DEA agents were investigating several Las Vegas residents suspected of helping Padilla, the FBI was not investigating anyone in Las Vegas until Lucero was killed, court records show. The separate investigations began to overlap following Lucero’s death when one Las Vegas resident — Marcos Ruiz — became a target of both investigations.
Federal authorities allege Ruiz is a member of the Westside Locos gang, is an SNM associate and that he acted as Padilla’s “enforcer” in Las Vegas.
According to court documents, a witness told DEA agents that Ruiz was responsible for the June 15 death of Cruz Gallegos, and that he was aided by his brother Arturo Ruiz and Juan Gallegos, a juvenile whose criminal record is sealed. Federal informants told agents the shooting was the result of Cruz Gallegos stealing $70,000 worth of fentanyl from Marcos Ruiz.
About a month later, Lucero was killed in the driveway of his home. Following Lucero’s death, FBI agents began to focus on Las Vegas. According to an FBI search warrant filed in U.S. District Court, Lucero was a former SNM leader who’d testified against SNM members in pretrial motion hearings, and as a government witness during a lengthy trial.
According to court records, agents believe “the murder of Leroy Lucero was engineered by leaders within the SNM and perpetrated by members and associates of the gang.”
Witnesses to the July homicide told FBI agents they saw a car pull into Lucero’s driveway, heard three gunshots and saw Lucero crawling toward his home. One witness told FBI agents Marcos Ruiz was the driver of the car; however, another said it was Gary Coca, a man agents suspect is a member of Padilla’s drug organization, and a prospective SNM member.
Ruiz was already in custody at the San Miguel County Detention Center when the raids took place. He was arrested Aug. 4 for shooting Gilbert Montoya a day earlier. On Aug. 27, Ruiz was charged with the murder of Marcos “Mark” Carrillo, and he has since been charged with attempted murder in the shooting of Montoya.
Both the DEA and FBI executed search warrants on Sept. 19 at a residence in the 600 block of Union Street, the home of Marcos Ruiz and Arturo Ruiz.
As part of the investigation into SNM, FBI agents executed search warrants on at least seven other homes in the Las Vegas area.
Those warrants were executed at the homes of Larry “Psyco” Martinez in the 200 block of Grand Avenue; John F. “Stoner” Salazar in the 1200 block of Commerce Street; George A. “G Dogg” Sena in the 800 block of S. Pacific Street; Luis “Payaso” Sanchez in the 700 block of Dora Celsete Drive, who was listed as an associate of SNM in the affidavit; Gilbert “Gebo” Aragon in the 2300 block of Romero Street; and Amanda Silva in the 200 block of New Mexico Avenue. Agents also searched the home of Timothy Ortega in the 800 block of Caliche Road in Wagon Mound, and the home of Rebecca Duran (aka Rebecca Gallegos) in the 2400 block of Dahlia Street in Las Vegas, as well as an address on County Road A035 in Mora.
According to the affidavit, SNM has been attempting to gain control of Hispanic street gangs in New Mexico to consolidate power, “much like the Mexican Mafia prison gang has done with Sureños in California.” Agents allege the people living in the homes that were searched have ties to street gangs and/or SNM.
The affidavit alleges that Sanchez, Salazar and Sena are members of SNM, while Martinez, Aragon, Duran, Ortega and Silva are SNM associates. Silva is the widow of suspected SNM member Jeromy “Joker” Vasquez, who was killed last year, and she is expected to be charged in connection with the DEA case against Padilla, according to the affidavit.
Padilla was apprehended Sept. 19 in Albuquerque and faces multiple federal charges of trafficking controlled substances.
Coca was arrested on federal charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, as well as robbery charges.
Along with murder and attempted murder charges, Marcos Ruiz has been charged with one federal count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
It is unclear if any others targeted in the Las Vegas raids have been arrested or charged with federal crimes, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not respond to the Optic’s request for further information. However, Duran was arrested by New Mexico State Police during the Sept. 19 raid on her home on Dahlia Street. She was booked into SMCDC and has been charged with felony possession of heroin. She is scheduled to be arraigned in San Miguel Magistrate Court on Oct. 3.
According to FBI Special Agent in Charge James C. Langenberg, the yearslong FBI investigation titled “Operation Atonement” has resulted in the arrest of approximately 160 suspected SNM members and associates statewide, and according to the affidavit, more than 90 people have been charged with federal crimes as a result of the investigation.
