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ALBUQUERQUE – A coordinated, multi-agency law enforcement operation targeting the 10 most dangerous offenders identified by tribal and local law enforcement partners has resulted in federal charges against individuals accused of violent crime, firearms offenses and narcotics trafficking in northern New Mexico.
Operation Tempest, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, grew out of a September 2025 meeting convened by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison with federal, tribal and local law enforcement leaders. During the meeting, law enforcement leaders identified cartel-related activity and the violent offenders, firearms violations and drug trafficking associated with it as significant threats to communities in northern New Mexico.
Those efforts became the foundation for Operation Tempest, through which federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners worked together to identify, investigate and pursue federal charges against the 10 offenders identified by participating agencies as among the most dangerous threats to public safety.
“We cannot ask communities to simply accept the criminals who are causing the most harm as a fact of life. When our partners come to us with serious cases, they should know that we are going to take them seriously and use every avenue available to hold those responsible accountable. That is what we owe the communities we serve, and we are going to continue raising the standard for how we respond to the most serious threats to public safety.”
“Every arrest made through this operation represents one more step towards a safer community. Today’s success demonstrates what we can accomplish when law enforcement agencies work together for a common goal,” said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. “But this is not the end. We will continue to aggressively pursue this effort throughout communities across the state, working alongside our partners to locate criminals, hold them accountable, and bring them to justice.”
The individuals targeted in connection with the operation are:
- Paul H. Alejo – Alejo is charged in a federal indictment with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime and possessing the firearm in furtherance of that crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges Alejo previously was convicted of attempted aggravated assault upon a peace officer.
- Larry Martinez – Martinez pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Martinez previously was convicted of second-degree murder. Sentencing is scheduled for October 20, 2026.
- Jacob Martinez – Martinez is charged in a federal indictment with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, methamphetamine and fentanyl; possession of a firearm in furtherance of those drug-trafficking crimes; and being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition. The indictment alleges Martinez previously was convicted of attempted trafficking of a controlled substance, two non-residential burglaries and receiving stolen property.
- Jerome Naranjo – Naranjo pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Naranjo previously was convicted of robbery, possession of a controlled substance and escape from a community custody program. Sentencing is scheduled for November 10, 2026.
- Gino Tapia – Tapia is charged in a federal indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges Tapia previously was convicted of commercial burglary and two separate felon-in-possession offenses.
- Andrew Madrid – Madrid is charged in a federal indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges Madrid previously was convicted of possession of a controlled substance, abuse of a child and aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer.
- Natasha Ninette DeCosta – DeCosta is charged in a federal indictment with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges DeCosta previously was convicted of attempted trafficking of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.
- Felix Anthony Lewis – Lewis is charged in a federal indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges Lewis previously was convicted of trafficking by possession with intent to distribute.
- Michael Mena – Mena is charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime and possessing the firearm in furtherance of that crime, and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. The complaint alleges Mena previously was convicted of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance while armed, carrying a firearm in a public space and felon-in-possession offenses.
- Joe Gomez – Gomez pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition after previously being convicted of possession of a controlled substance and commercial burglary. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2026.
Operation Tempest Participating Agencies
- U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico
- FBI Albuquerque Field Office
- Homeland Security Investigations
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- First Judicial District Attorney’s Office
- New Mexico State Police
- New Mexico National Guard
- Santa Fe Police Department
- Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office
- Taos County Sheriff’s Office
- Española Police Department
- Santa Clara Tribal Police Department
- Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Police Department
- Pueblo of Pojoaque Police Department
- Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety
- Tesuque Pueblo Police Department
Operation Tempest is the first in a series of coordinated enforcement efforts that will be conducted throughout New Mexico, each focused on identifying and targeting the most dangerous offenders driving violence in communities across the state.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated these cases. The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
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