Meth trafficking investigation leads to arrest at Catron County senior center

A months‑long narcotics investigation led to the discovery of methamphetamine packaged for sale inside the Catron County Senior Citizen Center in Quemado, Sheriff Keith Hughes said on Jan. 29, calling the case one of several recent trafficking incidents straining resources in the rural county.

Hughes said deputies executed a search warrant on an employee, Denise Shippy's, office inside the senior center after community members came forward with concerns about possible drug activity. Their tips prompted deputies to conduct a K‑9 sniff on a vehicle identified by residents. The dog alerted, and deputies obtained consent to search the vehicle, where they found residue that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

“That gave us enough probable cause to obtain a search warrant,” Hughes said. “Inside the employee’s desk and personal bag, we found a quantity of methamphetamine.” The drugs, roughly 10 grams, were packaged in small baggies consistent with distribution, he said.

According to reports, Shippy is facing charges of one count of trafficking controlled substances, and one charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the state lab for confirmation on Friday. 

Shippy, works for Presbyterian Medical Services, which operates the senior center, not for the county, said Hughes.

Hughes credited residents for bringing the information forward. 

“It’s really helpful when somebody stands up and lets you know what’s going on,” he said. “We will follow up on any information we get, if it’s legit.”

The bust is the second trafficking‑related case in Catron County this month, an unusually high number for a community of about 3,000 people spread across 7,000 square miles.

“For a small community, it’s excessive, two in a month,” Hughes said. “Most of our crime here revolves around narcotics in one way or another.”

Hughes said methamphetamine in the region is typically brought in from outside the county rather than manufactured locally.

 “It’s so much easier to buy it on any street corner somewhere else than it is to make it,” he said, adding that most methamphetamine in circulation originates from cartel-run labs in Mexico, even when it is purchased in larger cities like Albuquerque or Phoenix.

Catron County does not have its own long-term detention facility or local rehabilitation programs, meaning most individuals arrested or seeking treatment must be transported out of the county. The sheriff’s office does maintain a school resource officer who provides drug‑prevention education and outreach to students.

Hughes said the department expects additional developments in the case and urged residents to continue reporting suspicious activity.

 “If you see anything else, I’ll be glad to tell you what I know at any given time,” he said. “The more light we shed on it, the better.”