Andrew Michael Dillehay, Fleeing Immigration Checkpoint, New Mexico 2025

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO - In a shocking turn of events, Andrew Michael Dillehay, a resident of New Mexico, was charged with fleeing at high speed from an immigration checkpoint. This occurred on August 4, 2025, at a checkpoint west of Alamogordo, New Mexico.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Dillehay at the checkpoint. When referred for secondary inspection, he instead sped away from the checkpoint. Agents pursued and apprehended him near Organ, New Mexico.

Dillehay's actions have sparked concerns about immigration enforcement and border security. The incident is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at repelling the invasion of illegal immigration and protecting communities from violent crime.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico has been actively pursuing immigration-related cases, with a focus on prosecutions by the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.

Over the past week, the U.S. Attorney's Office has brought numerous charges against individuals for immigration-related offenses. These charges include:

67 individuals were charged with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)

4 individuals were charged with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)

35 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)

40 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

Many of the defendants charged with 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking and illegal reentry.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against children.

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/us-attorneys-office-district-new-mexico-weekly-immigration-and-border-crimes-report-21