12-22-2022 6:05pm

Two Females Arrested for Drug Trafficking Fentanyl in Alamogordo

Chris Edwards Editor

Arrest for alleged drug trafficking in Alamogordo

Two women were arrested and accused of trafficking fentanyl in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Officers arrested Carlee Edwards and Ashley Gonzalez. On Sunday, December 18, 2022, at approximately 5:28 pm, an Alamogordo Police Department Officer conducted a traffic stop in the 400 block of Maryland Avenue for minor traffic violations.

The Officer encountered two female persons within the vehicle and immediately noticed drug paraphernalia.

The Officer decided to seize the vehicle to apply for a search warrant. Carlee Edwards (driver) and Ashley Gonzalez (passenger) were both arrested for obstructing the Officer’s attempt to seize the vehicle.

Officers located numerous suspected fentanyl pills during the booking process and located more evidence of fentanyl trafficking within the vehicle during the execution of the search warrant. Overall, Officers located over 200 suspected fentanyl pills and over $1,500.00 in cash during the investigation.

As a result, Ms. Carlee Edwards is being charged with Trafficking a Controlled Substance, Tampering with Evidence, and Resisting or Obstructing an Investigation.

Ms. Ashley Gonzalez is being charged with Trafficking a Controlled Substance, Tampering with Evidence, and Resisting or Obstructing an Investigation. Both females were jailed at OCDC.

Some Facts to consider in relation to the crime rate in Alamogordo. Alamogordo continues to have a significant staffing issue with the police department and will the county jail both being understaffed. Pay for police and jail staff is still low in comparison to the risk factor of being a police officer. Pay is very low in comparison to other high-risk professions. One has to love law enforcement and public service to be an officer in Alamogordo.

According to the FBI Crime Stats compiled for the city of Alamogordo there were 905 crimes reported in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 2019, the most recent year crime data is available. Adjusted for population, the city’s annual crime rate is 2,843 incidents for every 100,000 people.

How does Alamogordo compare?

Alamogordo has a higher overall crime rate than the vast majority of U.S. cities. For comparison, the national total crime rate is 2,489 incidents for every 100,000 people.

Alamogordo's overall crime rate is 28% lower than the overall crime rate in New Mexico. Statewide, there were 82,719 crimes reported in 2019, or 3,945 for every 100,000 people.

What types of crimes are being committed?

The FBI's crime rate includes seven crime categories: three property crimes -- larceny, burglary, and motor vehicle theft, and four violent crimes -- aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and murder.

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Alamogordo, however, property crimes account for about 88% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Alamogordo than it is nationwide. There were 796 property crimes in Alamogordo in 2019, or 2,501 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Alamogordo. There were 618 larcenies reported in Alamogordo in 2019, or 1,941 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 103 break-ins reported in Alamogordo in 2019, or 324 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Alamogordo, meanwhile, there were 75 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 236 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Alamogordo, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 12% share of all reported crime.

At 342 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Alamogordo is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Alamogordo reported a total of 109 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Alamogordo. There were 99 aggravated assaults reported in Alamogordo in 2019, or 311 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 4 robberies reported in Alamogordo in 2019, a rate of 13 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 6 rapes reported in Alamogordo in 2019, or 19 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

While there were 16,425 murders nationwide in 2019. In 2019 there were no murders in Alamogordo. There are 4 pending or open murder investigations for the year 2022.

Let's support our law enforcement and work as a community on civility and citizenship to bring crime numbers down. Let's be safe out there.