District attorney sees success already with ‘Operation Route 66’ in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Local law enforcement officers have Albuquerque’s International District under a microscope with its “Operation Route 66.”

“All you really have to do is drive down the streets at any given time and any given day, and you can see what’s going on out there. It’s unacceptable,” said Sam Bregman, the Bernalillo County District Attorney. “The International District does not deserve what’s going on up there.”

Bregman is talking about violent crime, drug use and other crimes against businesses in this area. Local law enforcement is trying to put a final stop to it through the operation.

In 12 days, they say the operation has led to the arrests of 102 suspects. That includes a murder suspect and two others connected to other murders.

Law enforcement also found ten guns and six stolen cars.

Bregman said a majority of them already had active arrest warrants.

“I’m really thrilled with the operation. I’m thrilled with the men and women in law enforcement that are willing to go out and do this,” he said.

There is skepticism. We asked Bregman, “What are the chances that some of them are already out and back in the International District?”

“That’s a great point,” he said. “They better show up for court because, if they don’t, that warrant’s issued and they go back out, we’re going to arrest them and bring them back to court again.”

Bregman appointed one an assistant district attorney to specifically follow these cases from start to finish. As of now, there is no cap on how long this operation could go.

“We know that, often times, we’ll do an operation and then we’ll leave and all of it will come back. That’s not going to happen. In this instance, we’re going to stay on it,” he said.

Bregman said the neighborhood deserves it.

“My long-term vision is just to give these folks that live there and operating businesses a chance,” he said.