Special Investigations
The Special Investigations Division of the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) is comprised of separate units, each handling investigations in its own specialty area. The Division utilizes expert special agents for major criminal investigations across the state as directed by the Attorney General, including violent crimes such as child abuse, homicide, sexual assaults, and guardianship cases. The Division also investigates government corruption, fraud, economic and financial crimes, and forced child labor, often working in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
General Investigations
Organized Retail Crime Unit
Retail theft re-offenders often go undetected because of law enforcement jurisdictional boundaries. House Bill 234, passed in 2023, created the offense of “Organized Retail Crime” and enables the aggregation of multiple retail theft crimes over a period of time and throughout the state. Agents with the New Mexico Department of Justice’s Organized Retail Crime Unit (ORC) wield statewide jurisdiction and work in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies and retail partners. Together, they share information and conduct investigations leading to the apprehension and prosecution of organized retail criminals throughout the state.
Cold Case Unit
Advances in DNA technologies have substantially increased the successful DNA analysis of aged, degraded, limited, or otherwise compromised biological evidence. As a result, crime scene samples once thought to be unsuitable for testing or which previously generated inconclusive results may now yield DNA profiles.
The goal of the newly developed Cold Case Unit is to assist law enforcement agencies statewide in solving cold case homicides and unsolved sexual assaults where potential offender DNA has been identified but did match profiles in existing databases, or there are untested items that may yield offender DNA using Forensic Genetic Genealogy and advanced investigative techniques.
Internet Crimes Against Children Unit
The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit is part of a multi-agency task force with a mission to locate, track, and capture internet child sexual predators and child pornographers.
As the central command for the ICAC Task Force in New Mexico, the Unit receives and triages all Cyber Tips and Reports made by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The Unit has a fully equipped computer lab specifically designed to provide forensic analysis to law enforcement agencies working ICAC cases and special criminal investigations.
In addition, the ICAC Unit is deeply invested in community engagement, and has provided internet crime prevention training to citizens and youth at community meetings, schools, and colleges throughout the state.
Special Agent Joey serves with the ICAC Unit. As an Electronic Scent Detection K9, Joey can detect any device that has electronic storage. He is the only electronic-sniffing dog in New Mexico.
