Head of vigilante group arrested

FBI has detained head of United Constitutional Patriots, nation's eye trained on New Mexico

We told you, you can’t do that

Well, that didn't take long. On Friday we told you that national press had picked up on the story of a vigilante militia group in Southern New Mexico that was detaining migrants at gunpoint, and over the weekend, the New York Times reports that the FBI arrested its alleged leader ($). Larry Mitchell Hopkins, who had been operating under the alias Johnny Horton Jr., was arrested for firearms charges, but those are likely the tip of the iceberg and he will likely also face investigation for kidnapping and impersonating a police officer. Most leadership in New Mexico has condemned the actions of the so-called United Constitutional Patriots; Gavin Clarkson, who is running for Senate, has praised the group in the past. (He has since changed his tune.)

Ecological impacts

In other borderland news, the president has pushed for 57 new miles of border wall, 46 of which are slated for New Mexico's southern edge. Despite lawsuits, construction is moving forward, and a Texas company has been awarded $789 million to replace vehicle barriers with 18- to 30-foot-tall bollard barriers. Kevin Bixby, director of the Southwest Environmental Center, warned the Albuquerque Journal that the wall will be harmful to the fragile ecology of the area. Scientists across the country and the world agree with that assessment.

Sports coaches dismissed

Two coaches in Española have not had their contracts renewed, the Rio Grande Sun reports, despite having led the teams to victories in the last few years. Basketball's James Branch and volleyball coach Damon Salazar will not return next year, and Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez did not comment on the dismissals other than to imply that procedures and policies were not adhered to. "I don't think they'll find anyone that cares about Española as much as I do," Salazar told the RGS. "The only place I wanted to coach was Española. … I think we get a bad rap and the kids don't deserve that."

Wake-up call

If you keep a cell phone by your bed, you were likely awoken at 4 am today by an Amber Alert for 6-year-old Freddie Drake. He has allegedly been abducted in a silver Mustang (plate number AKMF23) by Arlene Drake of Valencia County, and cops have no idea where they might be headed. Be on the lookout.

Git owt

A man who admitted to stalking arts dealer Forrest Fenn's grandchildren showed up at his house over the weekend ($), possibly violating a restraining order. Francisco "Paco" Chavez seems to believe that Fenn's granddaughter herself is the treasure that Fenn claims to have hidden somewhere in the region. A few people have died trying to find it, and Fenn has faced criticism and requests to call off the search. He refuses. Chavez was gone from the Fenn residence by the time cops arrived, but Chavez told authorities via phone that he had indeed been there. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

A lesson in contrasts

A couple weekend dispatches from SFR saw our writers headed north on 503 to talk to pilgrims walking toward Chimayo, and fanning out to cannabis dispensaries around the city on 4/20. No hard news here, just some nice pictures and fun quotes from people you probably know.

Howdy, officers

Police say that on Friday, Jay Wagers, age 23, was riding a stolen BMW motorcycle when cops began pursuing him on I-25 near Glorieta; Wagers then waved to them jauntily ($) as he sped on by. Cops called off the chase as they neared Santa Fe, citing safety reasons. Wagers has a previous conviction for motor vehicle theft from earlier this month, and had been released from jail on Wednesday. He is still at large.

Running toward something

Loyal SFR readers might remember a few weeks ago we talked to Katie Arnold, an editor at Outside magazine who processed grief through running—then wrote a memoir to make sense of it all. The New York Times also thinks the book is worth talking about, and published a glowing review ($) earlier this month. This is the kind of national press we really like to get in New Mexico.

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