Police seize more than 17 ounces of Fentanyl, two firearms and a hand grenade in a room at the Travelers Inn Hotel in Tucumcari. Courtesy/NMSP

NMSP News:

TUCUMCARI — New Mexico State Police (NMSP) officers teamed up with the Quay County Sheriff’s Office and Region 5 Task Force in arresting a male who had an active warrant for his arrest. The investigation turned into a seizure of guns and drugs.

Jan. 23, 2024, authorities conducted a welfare check at the Travelers Inn Hotel in Tucumcari after receiving a tip of possible drug trafficking in the area. Raul Villalobos, 39, who had an active arrest warrant, was living at the hotel and was known to be armed. Once he was seen exiting his room, he was placed under arrest without incident.

Found inside his room was more than 17 ounces of Fentanyl, two firearms and a grenade. The NMSP Bomb Team was called to take possession of the grenade and dispose of it properly.

Villalobos was taken into custody by the Quay County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Quay County Detention Center on his active warrant and charged with trafficking a controlled substance in a school zone, possession of methamphetamine and possession of explosive or incendiary device.

For further information on this incident, contact the Quay County Sheriff’s Office.