In Milan, New Mexico, authorities announced that nine individuals were apprehended this week in a suspected drug trafficking case linked to a federal prison in the area. The announcement was made on Friday, following raids conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service on Wednesday, targeting 13 residences primarily located in the northwestern sector of the state, particularly in Albuquerque, which is the largest city in New Mexico.

Among those arrested, two individuals are currently serving time at the Cibola County Correctional Center, situated about an hour’s drive west of Albuquerque. This private facility houses roughly 750 inmates, including those detained on immigration matters.

The authorities characterized the drug operation as a “significant drug trafficking network” that not only involved the incarcerated individuals but also their spouses, family members, and associates outside the prison walls. Recent discoveries within the prison included over 1,000 fentanyl pills, heroin, and methamphetamine, as indicated in a federal government’s search warrant application related to the raids.

During the searches, law enforcement officials seized 15 firearms along with ammunition, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and several thousand dollars in cash. U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, Alexander Uballez, emphasized the government’s commitment to combating the exploitation of addiction for profit within correctional institutions, stating that the Department of Justice will not condone such activities.