Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) –The NM Department of Justice has announced the arrest of Erik Michael Briones on five counts of aggravated assault involving alleged threatening and menacing conduct with a firearm. The criminal complaint and affidavit were filed in San Miguel Magistrate Court accusing Briones of repeatedly threatening fishermen between April 2023 and March 2026 while they were navigating public waters near his property. Witnesses reported Briones brandished firearms threatening to begin “target practice” near them and made statements that caused victims to believe they were about to be shot. The arrest comes after years of litigation over public access to the Pecos River. The NMDOJ previously prevailed in civil litigation affirming that the public may lawfully recreate in public waters, even where those waters flow adjacent to private property.
