Drug 'haven' yields guns, funny money

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) - What started as a stolen car case for Rio Arriba County investigators morphed into something much bigger involving guns, drugs and counterfeit money.

A house that lawmen describe as a shooting gallery was full of heroin, cocaine, needles, guns stolen loot and more.

Sheriff's deputies say Fabian Garcia and his son, Fabian Jr., were running a drug business out of their home just a couple blocks from Española Valley High School.

"This was a user haven," Rio Arriba County Sheriff Tommy Rodella said.

Deputies stumbled on this gold mine because of a stolen car investigation. They were watching the home and then got a tip there drugs inside.

Rodella said he was shocked at what they found.

"There are over a thousand needles in this house," he said.

And they are all used.

The needles are everywhere. They are stuffed in door jams and all across the home and spread outside into the driveway with children living just next door.

"They didn't have any running water or electricity or gas or any kind of heat," Sgt. Vince Crespín said as he led a krqe news 13 reporter through the house.

Handheld burners and cooking spoons littered the floor, and rooms are trashed and full of stolen goods.

Then there's the counterfeit money.

"It looks like he was taking pictures of money, front and back," Crespín said displays printouts of bills. "You can see he measured it out pretty good."

Deputies also found crack, drugs to help the side effects of heroin, prescription pills and numerous guns

"He was trading a lot of these for guns," Crespín continued. "This is a silencer we found."

One of the rifles looked all too familiar to the sheriff.

"I recognized the name and the community he comes from," Rodella said.

It rightfully belongs to a family member of someone who works for the department.

The sheriff has had enough and had a strong message for drug dealers.

"We are not going anywhere," he said. "We are going to continue this battle."

The elder Garcia was arrested on drug possession and trafficking charges. His son was booked on outstanding warrants.

Investigators have called in two federal agencies--the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives-- to help in the case.