STATE
Suspected drug trafficker's arrest marks end of months-long hunt
Authorities say a man accused of supplying fentanyl and methamphetamine across western New Mexico and eastern Arizona was captured in Apache County after a multiagency investigation
Catron County Sheriff Keith Hughes said the arrest of a suspected drug trafficker accused of supplying fentanyl and methamphetamine across western New Mexico and eastern Arizona marks the end of a months-long investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Hughes said the suspect, Jason Tobey, was arrested in Apache County, Arizona, after an investigation led by the Catron County Sheriff鈥檚 Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
According to Hughes, Tobey had been living in Catron County while also staying in Apache County and frequently traveling between the two states.
Tobey was taken into custody by the Catron County Sheriff鈥檚 Office in March after he was found with 75 fentanyl tablets, which were confirmed by the New Mexico Crime Laboratory. He was released shortly afterward.
鈥淗e never came back to go to court. We鈥檝e been looking for him since then,鈥 Hughes said.
Hughes said investigators believe Tobey repeatedly crossed state lines and changed vehicles to avoid detection.
鈥淚t鈥檚 believed from information that we received he was bringing in fentanyl and methamphetamine from the Phoenix area and basically supplying Apache County and Catron County with a large amount of the narcotics that was coming in,鈥 Hughes said. 鈥淗e was a pretty active trafficker.鈥
The sheriff鈥檚 office spent much of the summer conducting surveillance on Tobey and others believed to be part of his trafficking network.
Last week, investigators determined Tobey had traveled to the Phoenix area. Catron County authorities notified the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which joined the investigation.
Using surveillance technology, Hughes said investigators tracked the suspect to the Tonto Basin area in Arizona. Hughes said the following morning an individual picked the suspect up and drove him to Eagar, Arizona, where Hughes said investigators had previously identified a residence where Tobey had stayed on multiple occasions.
Arizona DPS officers located him at the residence, but Hughes said the suspect fled in a vehicle.
"When they brought the pursuit to an end, the vehicle rolled," Hughes said. "After it stopped, he got out and ran off on foot, and they were able to apprehend him."
It is believed he was attempting to return to Catron County.
In addition to the Catron County warrant charging him with trafficking, Hughes said the suspect had warrants from five Arizona counties, all reportedly related to drug offenses. Tobey now faces new charges of evading law enforcement with a motor vehicle, as well as possession of meth and heroine found during his arrest.
El Defensor Chieftain is a sister newspaper of the Journal.