NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – It’s a trend that’s troubling to law enforcement leaders and the public: officers getting arrested for driving while intoxicated. Albuquerque Police Officer Jonathan Franco is the most recent, after he was arrested Saturday night for blowing over the legal limit at a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) DWI checkpoint.
He is the third APD officer to be arrested on suspicion of DWI over the last year, following officer Truitt Bushnell, who was pulled over a day after Christmas, and whose case is still pending. Before that, APD officer Jordan Hernandez was arrested in June 2024, after state police pulled him over in his patrol unit driving about 112 miles per hour, according to court documents. Hernandez pled guilty to DWI.
New Mexico State Police have also seen another of their own put in handcuffs. Officer Hugo Diaz-Amaya was put on administrative leave after getting arrested in Rio Rancho last week. According to Rio Rancho police, Diaz-Amaya first crashed near the Santa Ana Casino, but kept driving. After crashing near the Casino, the officer crashed again next to a New Mexico Bank and Trust just down the road, knocking over road signs.
A breath test showed no alcohol in his system, but according to court documents, he admitted to taking muscle relaxers. He is the second NMSP officer accused of impaired driving this year. Former NMSP officer Rachel Hall resigned from the force after a deputy arrested her near Gallup for DWI and other charges in February.
