TUCUMCARI, N.M. (KAMR/KCIT) — New Mexico State Police reported that officers with the department, the Quay County Sheriff’s Office, and Region 5 Task Force recently teamed up for an investigation that resulted in the arrest of one man and the seizure of multiple guns, fentanyl, and a grenade.
According to officials, on Tuesday authorities were called to the Travelers Inn Hotel in Tucumcari on a tip of “possible drug trafficking in the area.” 39-year-old Raul Villalobos, who had an active warrant, was reportedly living at the hotel and was allegedly “known to be armed.”
During the investigation, noted officials, Villalobos left the room he was reportedly staying in and was then arrested. Officials detailed that officers allegedly found 17 ounces of fentanyl, two firearms, and a grenade in the room. The New Mexico State Police Bomb Team assisted with the possession and proper disposal of the grenade, officials added.
Villalobos, said officials, was taken into custody by the Quay County Sheriff’s Office and then charged with “trafficking a controlled substance in a school zone, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of explosive or incendiary device.”