Staff Reports

ALBUQUERQUE — Attorney General Hector Balderas secured the preventative detention of Mario Morales, a man accused of human trafficking, kidnapping, criminal sexual penetration, false imprisonment and more Dec. 14.

The New Mexico Office of the Attorney General successfully extradited Morales, following his arrest in Arizona last month. Following the NMOAG’s preventative detention motion in November, Morales was indicted on more 15 charges, 14 of them felonies.

“Serial offenders who harm New Mexicans need to be behind bars, if they pose a risk to our community,” Balderas said. “We are prepared to seek justice for the family who has been harmed.”

In addition to the above charges, Morales faces charges of false imprisonment, aggravated battery against a household member, extortion, promoting prostitution, accepting earnings of a prostitute, and battery. His arraignment is set for Dec. 21.

By Cody Begaye

Sun Correspondent

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., hosted a press call Dec. 13 to discuss the importance of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.

VAWA was enacted in 1994 under then-President Bill Clinton to fund prosecution of violent crimes against women, impose automatic, mandatory restitution on those convicted and allow civil redress in un-prosecuted cases.

The Act also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice.

VAWA was previously reauthorized in 2000, 2005 and 2013 — the most recent expansion added Native Americans and same-sex couples, along with increased protection for victims of sex trafficking.

Heinrich was joined in the Dec. 13 call by Deleana Otherbull, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

“We need to not only reauthorize (the act), we need to build on it,” Heinrich said during the call.

Reauthorizing VAWA would help people who face severe levels of opposition, according to Heinrich.

“[The act] will provide victims with safe housing and communities to get them back on their feet,” he said.

Otherbull said the safety of Native Americans has not been prioritized at the national level as much as it should be. She said Native women are 10 times more likely to be murdered as non-Native women.

She said reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act would bring funding for training staff and prosecution against domestic violence, trafficking and sex crimes, along with more comprehensive victim support services.

When asked if anything would be different in the act with this time around, Heinrich said they would focus on the feedback they have gotten.

“We’ve listened to law enforcement, advocates, and asked them what can be done to improve this law,” he said.

As for funding, Heinrich said this version of the act is an extension of the existing legislation with flat funding, and the state would seek out additional financial resources for the programs that Otherbull mentioned.

Heinrich added that reauthorizing this act presents an opportunity for grants that can be used to build judicial capacity in local tribal governments, which can help to ensure successful prosecutions of the perpetrators.

While the Navajo Nation has already made use of this program to some degree, other tribes have not because of a lack of judicial capacity, Heinrich said.

Otherbull said the high number of tribal citizens in the state presents a unique challenge for New Mexico, along with the rural nature of the state.

The state will face these challenges for the benefit of the people, Otherbull said.

“[This program] will provide healing for survivors and their families,” she said.

Staff Reports

CHURCH ROCK –Navajo Nation President-Elect Jonathan Nez joined officials from New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez’s office, McKinley County and others at the Navajo Tech Innovation Center in Church Rock Dec. 13.

They announced that international nitrile glove manufacturing company Rhino Health LLC, plans to expand their operations and begin production at an existing manufacturing warehouse in Church Rock with the potential of creating up to 350 new jobs.

Rhino Health LLC is a U.S.-based company with a global management team from a leading Korean rubber company known as Jungwoo Rubber & Plastic, which plans to invest more than $49 million into an existing manufacturing warehouse in Church Rock.

“As Vice President, I supported this project and will continue to support it under the Nez-Lizer administration. As a business person, Mr. Lizer understands the importance of partnering with the private sector to bring economic opportunities to our communities and I share the same sentiment,” Nez stated. “This is a great venture with great potential!”

Nez also said the manufacturing facility will become a supplier of nitrile to be sold to government agencies, medical facilities, and food and retail industries.

He thanked the New Mexico Economic Development Department, Gallup Mayor Jackie McKinney, McKinley County Commissioners, and the Navajo Nation Project Development Department for their hard work and advocacy.

The project is partially funded through the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s investment of $3.5 million through the Local Economic Development Act funds.

“In every Navajo community there is a need for jobs. It’s these types of ventures that will bring those jobs to our people and we will continue to support this project when we take office in January,” Nez said.