CRIME
ATF offers $10,000 reward after IEDs discovered in Carson National Forest
Destructive devices recovered near ranger stations in Taos and Rio Arriba counties, authorities say
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A three-letter abbreviation for a weapon usually reserved for casualty reports from wars in the Middle East and terrorism incidents around the globe appeared in connection with one of New Mexico鈥檚 most beloved federal land reserves this week.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Thursday that 鈥渕ultiple destructive devices,鈥� or IEDs, were recovered near the Tres Piedras Ranger Station of the Carson National Forest in Taos County between April 2 and May 8.
On Aug. 10, a concerned citizen turned in another suspected IED at the Canjilon Ranger Station in Rio Arriba County, roughly 67 miles southwest of Tres Piedras.
It鈥檚 unclear at this time whether the two discoveries are related.
The U.S. Forest Service and law enforcement in both counties initially responded to each incident, later requesting assistance from the ATF鈥檚 Phoenix Field Division.
ATF investigators collected evidence from both scenes and are conducting a forensic examination of the materials at an ATF Forensic Science Laboratory.
The ATF is offering up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the people responsible for planting the devices.
As homemade bombs designed to injure, kill or distract using explosive or incendiary mechanisms, IEDs became well known during the Iraq War, beginning in 2003.
IEDs can be extremely deadly, accounting for an estimated 48% of American troop fatalities in Iraq from 2006 through 2021, according to
鈥淏ecause they are improvised, IEDs can come in many forms, ranging from a small pipe bomb to a sophisticated device capable of causing massive damage and loss of life,鈥� according to
John Miller is the Journal鈥檚 northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.
