FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 14, 2026

Contact:

Michelle Lute, (505) 552-2501, media@wildlifeforall.us

Chris Smith, (505) 395-6177, csmith@wildearthguardians.org

Mary Katherine Ray, (575) 537-1095, mkrscrim@gmail.com

Cyndi Tuell, (520) 272-2454, cyndi@westernwatersheds.org

Claire Musser, (928) 202-1325, claire@gcwolfrecovery.org

Regan Downey, (914) 763-2373, regan@nywolf.org

Santa Fe, N.M. — A coalition of wildlife conservation, environmental and animal protection organizations is demanding accountability after new reporting revealed that the New Mexico Department of Justice declined to bring criminal charges against a trapper who illegally set a trap on public land and then killed an endangered Mexican gray wolf. The incident, covered in yesterday’s Albuquerque Journal, involved William Nelson, a permitted public safety and depredation control officer for the Catron County Sheriff’s Office, who unlawfully set a trap for coyotes on public land in July 2025. After a Mexican gray wolf was caught in the trap, Nelson and a rancher restrained the wolf using a sleeping bag. The wolf died from asphyxiation due to vomit that obstructed his airway while being restrained.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, the New Mexico Department of Wildlife sought prosecution in the case, while the NMDOJ and federal authorities declined to bring charges. The New Mexico Department of Justice ultimately entered into an agreement under which the trapper would not be prosecuted and instead was required to download an app showing public and private land boundaries.

“An endangered Mexican gray wolf was caught in an illegal trap and died a horrific death, and the consequence was essentially downloading an app,” said Michelle Lute, Ph.D., executive director of Wildlife for All. “Why are we unable to protect an endangered species when multiple laws were violated so clearly? If our laws cannot deliver meaningful justice in a case like this, we need to fix both the enforcement and the laws themselves.”

Since 2022, at least 23 Mexican gray wolves have been documented caught in traps in New Mexico, demonstrating that trapping is an ongoing and recurring threat to the state’s endangered wolf population.

“New Mexico banned public lands trapping to prevent these exact kinds of incidents. The legislature wanted to keep public lands safe and protect wildlife from cruelty,” said Chris Smith, wildlife and wild places program director for WildEarth Guardians. “Roxy’s Law is a beacon of enlightened wildlife and public lands policy in the West, but only if we uphold it.”

“Wildlife enthusiasts, outdoor recreationists, and people opposed to animal cruelty and the brutality traps inflict along with the support of the majority of New Mexicans worked for years to finally see traps banned on NM public lands”, said Mary Katherine Ray, wildlife chair for the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club. “The state of New Mexico is entrusted to enforce this law including prosecuting violators and administering penalties and this is regardless of whether the victim is a coyote or an endangered animal like a wolf. That it did not is a betrayal to all of us.”

The coalition is urging New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez to strengthen the NMDOJ’s prosecution of illegal activity related to trapping and other cruelty to wildlife and is calling on state leaders to strengthen enforcement and close statutory loopholes that put wolves and other wildlife at risk.

“The Governor and the Department of Wildlife recognized that this case warranted prosecution, yet the state’s response failed to provide meaningful accountability for the unlawfully set trap that resulted in the death of an endangered wolf,” said Cyndi Tuell, Arizona and New Mexico director at Western Watersheds Project. “We urge Attorney General Torrez to get tough on wildlife crime, and we urge the Legislature to ensure that future cases do not fall through the same cracks.”

“We cannot simultaneously claim that Mexican gray wolves are ready for fewer federal protections while an endangered wolf can be illegally trapped and killed with no meaningful criminal consequence,” said Regan Downey, director of education and advocacy at the Wolf Conservation Center. “Recovery requires more than increasing the number of wolves on the landscape through wild breeding or captive releases. It requires protecting them once they are there.”

“This case should concern everyone who cares about the future of Mexican gray wolves. We are being told that lobos are approaching a point where federal protections can be weakened, yet an endangered breeding male can be illegally trapped on public land, die as a result, and there is no meaningful prosecution,” said Claire Musser, executive Dire of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “Recovery cannot simply be measured by how many wolves are counted each year. It must also mean that wolves can live on the landscape with meaningful legal protections, accountability when those protections are violated, and a genuine chance to thrive.”

Nelson’s victim, referred to by the code AM2765, was the breeding male of the Frieborn pack and had welcomed pups earlier that year. He served as the adoptive father to seven wild-born pups who were fostered from the Pancho Spring pack to the Frieborn pack in 2024.

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About Wildlife for All

Wildlife for All is a national organization dedicated to reforming wildlife management to be more democratic, just, compassionate and focused on protecting wild species and ecosystems. Through research, advocacy, and education, we aim to protect wildlife and ensure that policies reflect the values of all Americans.

About Western Watersheds Project

Western Watersheds Project is a nonprofit conservation organization with more than 50,000 members and supporters who care about protecting western public lands for watersheds and wildlife. 

About WildEarth Guardians

WildEarth Guardians protects and restores the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and health of the American West.

About Sierra Club

The Sierra Club’s mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the Earth, practice and promote the responsible use of its ecosystems, and educate humanity to protect the natural environment.

About Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project 

The Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing back wolves to help restore ecological health in the Grand Canyon region, while also recognizing wolves as sentient beings with intrinsic value and worth.

About Wolf Conservation Center

The Wolf Conservation Center advances the survival of wolves by inspiring a global community through education, advocacy, research, and recovery, and is an active participant in the SAFE Mexican Wolf Program.