New Mexico may curb paramilitaries near southern US border

By MORGAN LEE
Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is considering legal changes to to rein in unauthorized paramilitary patrols that intimidate or pose a danger. The bill emerged Monday from House committee vetting for a possible floor vote amid opposition from Republican legislators. Nevada and Oregon are considering similar initiatives. A sponsor says the New Mexico bill responds to incidents in 2019 and 2020 in which a band of armed men stopped migrants near at the U.S. border with Mexico and in Albuquerque where a separate group of armed men in tactical gear appeared at a chaotic protest about a statute of a Spanish conquistador.