New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham has declared a state of emergency in the city of Española and nearby areas in response to what she calls “a significant surge” in violent crime and drug trafficking.
The governor’s order, which also covers the area of Rio Arriba County, Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh, authorizes $750,000 in emergency funding for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to provide resources to those community, Grisham said in a news release on Wednesday.
Grisham cited police calls in Española and surrounding areas having more than doubled in the past two years, with police dispatches to businesses also quadrupling.
Rio Arriba County has the highest overdose death rate in the state, the governor said. It is just north of Santa Fe County and east of Taos County, and is also home to Abiquiu, most famous for being the home of Georgia O’Keeffe.
Fentanyl was involved in 65% of overdose deaths in 2023, according to the state’s health department, but the statewide overdose deaths have declined 8% since 2021 when the number peaked.
This is the second time this year the Democratic governor has declared a state of emergency over crime in the state. In April, Grisham declared a state of emergency in Albuquerque, authorizing the deployment of about 70 New Mexico National Guard members to New Mexico’s largest city.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
contributed to this report.