Inmate work crew finds firearm along Interstate 40

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Brittany Roembach

Public Information Officer, Corrections Department

Brittany.roembach@cd.nm.gov

505-382-3541

March 17, 2025

Inmate work crew finds firearm along Interstate 40

CIBOLA COUNTY– On Thursday, March 13, 2025, a New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) inmate work crew discovered a 9mm handgun with eight rounds in the magazine along northbound Interstate 40, near mile marker 91 in Cibola County.

The firearm was found hanging from a barbed wire fence. The supervising corrections officer immediately secured the firearm and ensured the safety of the inmate work crew, by moving them to the transport van. NMCD’s Security Threat Intelligence Unit and the Cibola County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, and the firearm was seized by the sheriff’s office.

The work crew consisted of four inmates from the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Grants. Upon their return to the facility, the inmates were thoroughly searched, resulting in no additional findings.

This discovery marks the third firearm found by NMCD inmate work crews this year. On January 27 , two fully loaded 9mm handguns were discovered during a routine trash pickup along Interstate 25 near the Santo Domingo exit.

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The New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) is one of the largest state departments in New Mexico. The department staff and volunteers are fully committed to integrating programs in its facilities for rehabilitation. It is through programs and services the department aims to improve outcomes for offenders and enhance public safety in communities. For more information, visit cd.nm.gov or follow NMCD on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , X at @NMCDPIO.