Gov. Gary Johnson said America's "war on drugs" may help finance terrorists and their attacks on U.S. targets during a conversation Tuesday on his drug-reform views with about 50 teens . "The modern-day Al Capone is arguably Osama bin Laden," Johnson said. "I think our war on drugs is perhaps ultimately contributing to terrorism. "9-11 may have been significantly financed with drug money," he said. The governor supports legalization of marijuana and harm-reduction strategies, such as increased prevention and treatment programs, for harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine. [continues 639 words]
SANTA FE - Most of Gov. Gary Johnson's drug-reform package died in the Legislature, but one bill expected to have a major impact, at least for addicts seeking help, passed and was signed by Johnson last week. Senate Bill 628 provides $9.8 million in the first year of a three-year program to expand drug-treatment services to New Mexico residents and some state prisoners. The funding should help 2,100 to 2,500 substance abusers receive treatment. Under the bill, the state Health Department will receive: [continues 225 words]
Most of Gov. Gary Johnson's drug-reform package died in the Legislature, but one bill expected to have a major impact, at least for addicts seeking help, passed and was signed by Johnson last week. Senate Bill 628 provides $9.8 million in the first year of a three-year program to expand drug-treatment services for New Mexico residents and some male and female state prisoners. The funding should help from 2,100 to 2,500 substance abusers receive treatment. Under the bill, the state Health Department will receive: [continues 1312 words]
Heroin overdose victims in Rio Arriba County often die at home before medical help arrives, or they may be dumped outside the Espanola Hospital emergency room by friends who fear arrest. In hopes of preventing more overdose deaths, the state Health Department delivered 100 syringes of naloxone Wednesday to doctors in the Espanola Valley who will prescribe the potentially life-saving drug to addicts. When injected, naloxone helps reverse the effects of an overdose of an opiate -- such as heroin, morphine or methadone -- by binding tightly to receptors in the body that normally attract opiates, said Dr. Steve Jenison, physician administrator for the Infectious Diseases Bureau in the state Public Health Division. [continues 564 words]
CHIMAYO - The U.S. Attorney's Office seized houses, cars and even a race horse after a bust of four local drug rings last year, calling them spoils of the black-tar heroin trade that has claimed scores of lives in the Espa Fola Valley. Now a church and a neighborhood anti-crime group hope some of the seized property can be donated to help local programs designed to get drug addicts clean or provide job training for local youth. Victory Outreach De Santa Fe - a local chapter of an international Christian organization dedicated to helping drug addicts and alcoholics get sober - wants to turn convicted drug dealer Josefa Gallegos' former home in Chimayo into a rehabilitation center. [continues 1560 words]
A federal agent described the inner workings of a Mexican heroin cartel's operations in New Mexico during sentencings of seven convicted drug dealers Monday. At least one of four Chimay heroin-trafficking rings busted last September was supplied by a family-based heroin cartel centered in the western Mexican state of Nayarit, said James Kuykendall, a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Nayarit cartel was hit June 15 by Operation Tar Pit, a nationwide investigation of the cartel's U.S. operations that resulted in nearly 200 arrests in a dozen cities, including seven in Albuquerque. [continues 629 words]
Gov. Gary Johnson's controversial views on drug legalization apparently was one motive for the hacking of his Web site two times over the past week. In an e-mail response to a Journal inquiry Friday, an individual claiming responsibility and using the name Nemesystm, leader of the Delinquent Hacking Corporation, explained his reasons for crashing the governor's Web site. "(The first hacking was) just to point out that not even the government has enough knowledge to simply password their site," Nemesystm wrote. "Second time because (Johnson) wanted to legalize drugs. I'm against that, but there's no way (I'm) telling my friends that." [continues 509 words]
Statistics show New Mexico led the nation in per capita drug-induced deaths, with Rio Arriba County topping the state ESPANOLA -- Maria grew up with heroin. When she was 15, a family member injected her for the first time because she didn't know how to work the syringe. "Most of my family, we're dope pushers," said the now-35-year-old mother of three. "Me being the young one, I followed." Heroin has become a way of life for some families in Rio Arriba County; and, for far too many, a way of death. [continues 2121 words]
