Albuquerque Smoke Shops, Synthetic Cannabinoid Trafficking, New Mexico

Albuquerque smoke shops and their Texas counterparts are out thousands in tools of the trade—permanently. Federal authorities, with full city backing, crushed and buried more than $220,000 in drug paraphernalia today at the Cerro Colorado Landfill, marking the final act in a sweeping crackdown on synthetic cannabinoid trafficking operations.

The haul—seized under federal search warrants from shops in Albuquerque, Hobbs, Ruidoso, and West Texas—includes thousands of glass bongs, crack pipes, packaging materials, and other equipment used to distribute and ingest illegal narcotics. The items were forfeited through federal investigations targeting so-called ‘head shops’ operating as fronts for drug distribution networks.

U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria, overseeing the destruction through the DOJ’s Asset Forfeiture Program, stated, ‘The federal asset forfeiture laws are used to remove financial incentives from crime by depriving criminals of the cash and other assets they rely upon to facilitate their illegal activity.’ Proceeds from future forfeited assets will fund victim compensation, law enforcement initiatives, and community programs.

The targeted businesses include The Snack & Smoke Shop (2118 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque), where $18,700 in paraphernalia was seized in September 2014; Just Smokes in Lubbock, Texas ($37,500 seized, June 2015); and its sister location in Plainview, Texas ($33,800 seized, same month); The Magic Mushroom in Ruidoso ($11,300, April 2015); and Up in Smoke in Hobbs ($53,800 seized).

U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, whose office prosecuted the criminal cases and litigated the civil forfeitures, emphasized the broader impact: ‘When we forfeited the drug paraphernalia destroyed today, we took away the tools of the trade used by drug traffickers to perpetuate crime in our communities and we shut down businesses that served as fronts for drug trafficking.’

Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry praised the federal-city collaboration, stating, ‘The City of Albuquerque has a history of working on joint partnerships with our federal partners to create a net of security across our city.’ DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derek A. Fuller also attended, representing the investigative forces behind the seizures.