Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced the arrest of 15 individuals suspected of attempting to meet a child for sexual activity following a four-day undercover operation, “Operation Game Over,” conducted with federal and local law enforcement partners. The New Mexico Department of Justice will prosecute nine of the 15 suspects, while the remaining cases have been referred to partner agencies.
All 15 individuals face charges of Child Solicitation by Electronic Communication Device. The operation was carried out by undercover agents from the New Mexico Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, the Albuquerque Police Department, and the Santa Fe Police Department. Agencies collaborated on undercover chats, surveillance, and subsequent arrests.
The suspects contacted decoy accounts created by law enforcement that depicted underage users on several online platforms including Sniffies, SkiptheGames, Grindr, MeetMe, and MocoSpace. According to Attorney General Raúl Torrez: “There is no higher priority for my office than protecting children from those who would exploit them, and we will use every tool, every partnership, and every resource available to bring these predators to justice. This operation succeeded because law enforcement moved as a single unit and that is exactly the kind of coordinated response New Mexico families deserve. Predators who target our children should know they are not anonymous, they are not safe, and they will be held accountable.”
The New Mexico Department of Justice will prosecute Ryan Lard (charged with solicitation involving a child under 13), Roman Benjamin (solicitation involving a child under 13), Anthony Larsen (solicitation involving a child under 13), Kyle Stovall (solicitation involving a child aged 13-16), Jeremy Garcia (solicitation involving a child aged 13-16), Jose Arizmendy-Vega (solicitation involving a child aged 13-16), Christopher Purtee (solicitation involving a child aged 13-16), Christopher Frost (solicitation involving a child aged 13-16), and Jesus Jacobo (solicitation involving a child aged 13-16). Each case details explicit conversations or arrangements with decoy accounts followed by apprehension at meeting locations.
The New Mexico Attorney General serves as chief legal officer for the state and coordinates with local law enforcement agencies for public safety efforts; it advances justice through civil litigation and criminal prosecutions while providing services across all counties in New Mexico. The office also seeks to protect consumers, support law enforcement efforts statewide, foster trust through community outreach initiatives, and uphold accountability in its operations according to the official website.
