West Mesa murders

The West Mesa Murders are the killings of eleven women whose remains were found buried in 2009 in the desert on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Several suspects have been named, but none were arrested or charged. While the killings were initially believed to be the work of a serial killer, the involvement of a sex trafficking ring has been suspected.

An anonymous tip to authorities at APD and FBI linked the murders to a suspect from El Salvador. Police have also suspected the involvement of a sex trafficking ring operating through neighboring Texas that targets prostitutes during events throughout the Southwest, Southern, and Western United States, especially regularly scheduled events, such as the New Mexico State Fair in this case, to take advantage of reliably heavier traffic. This small fragment of a human trafficking ring involves numerous population centers, including Las Vegas, El Paso, Killeen, and Denver.