New Mexico State Police arrest suspected fentanyl trafficker after dangerous chase

Nov. 30—New Mexico State Police recently arrested a Santa Fe man accused of trafficking fentanyl and other drugs and a La Cienega woman suspected of fleeing from officers while driving under the influence.

Following an attempted traffic stop and vehicle pursuit Nov. 23, officers searched the pair’s car and found 1,100 fentanyl pills, 20 Suboxone strips and $1,964 in cash, state police said in a news release Tuesday.

Mario Muniz, 34, was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of trafficking with intent to distribute, according to the release.

Kathryn Tohm, 25, was charged with driving while under the influence of drugs, aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer and careless driving.

State police tried to pull over the 2005 Dodge Neon, driven by Tohm, around 10:30 p.m. on Interstate 25 in Santa Fe because of suspected reckless driving, the news release said. However, the vehicle didn’t stop and a chase began.

The Dodge exited I-25 at St. Francis Drive and continued to lead officers down city streets. The driver nearly caused a head-on collision with a state police car on Galisteo Road, according to the news release.

A “pursuit intervention technique” was used to end the chase and arrest Tohm and Muniz near Galisteo Road and Galisteo Court. They were booked into the Santa Fe County jail early Nov. 24, according to online jail records.

Police said Muniz had two outstanding felony arrest warrants in Florida and Arkansas at the time of his arrest, but did not specify the charges against him.

Court records show Muniz was released from jail Monday.

State prosecutors filed a petition seeking pretrial detention for Tohm.