Ten men were arrested in the Albuquerque metro area in an undercover operation targeting people accused of trying to meet children they contacted online, the New Mexico Department of Justice reports.
Dubbed Operation Midnight Harvest, the sting ran Oct. 15-17. Investigators used undercover online identities and decoy accounts to communicate with suspects, and no real children were involved, according to the department. Its Special Investigations Bureau led the operation through its Internet Crimes Against Children unit, with help from the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, Santa Fe Police Department and Edgewood Police Department.
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All 10 defendants face third-degree felony charges of child solicitation by electronic communication device, and one also faces a misdemeanor charge of resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. The men range in age from 20 to 41 and come from Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas, Colorado Springs and New Jersey. The department released their names, ages, hometowns and charges on its website.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez called the operation "the latest example of our commitment to tracking down predators" in a statement. The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story was revised to cite the New Mexico Department of Justice news release it is based on. Learn how Brant.One reports in our editorial standards.
