Albuquerque ICE officer still on job two years after DWI arrest

An Albuquerque ICE officer arrested on suspicion of drunk driving two years ago remains employed by the agency while awaiting trial, a television station has found. The case, which has yet to reach a verdict, has drawn criticism from a civil liberties attorney who questioned why the officer was not placed on leave during the proceedings.

Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled over Adriana Escobedo Torres on the night before Thanksgiving in 2024 in a McDonald’s parking lot, according to KRQE News.

Torres and her passenger laughed when the deputy asked where they were coming from. Torres told the deputy, “So we’re, we’re, um, what is that place at? There’s like, my co-worker likes to go to this place. Always like, Billy’s.”

The deputy questioned her story. “You came from Osuna, and Billy’s is way down by San Mateo, so like that would have been weird that you came from Billy’s, but your friend is laughing over here; she knows you’re struggling here,” the deputy said.

Torres admitted to one drink. “It was just like a White Claw,” she said.

The deputy said he smelled alcohol, then described dangerous driving. “So you turn in front of me, and when I turned around, you were in both lanes, the middle lane and the right lane. And so, and then you came back over and then you pulled in here,” the deputy said.

Torres refused to take field sobriety tests and was arrested for aggravated drunk driving, improper left turn and failure to maintain a lane. In the back of the patrol car, Torres made her first mention that she was a federal officer. “Let me talk to you about it. I’m an ICE officer,” she said.

She told deputies her department-issued gun was under the seat, which deputies confiscated. Torres asked the deputy to give her a break since she was a fellow officer. “I’m just asking for a break because I’m a federal officer,” she said. The deputy replied, “But I can’t do things that would in any way compromise myself or me or my department.”

Tonres refused a breath test. Court records show the case has dragged on for two years, with Torres’ attorney trying to suppress all evidence, claiming it was an unlawful stop. Just this month, Torres asked that some sensitive information be sealed from the public, including testimony and hearings, saying heightened media attention could compromise her safety.

Becca Sheff, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, questioned why Torres had not been placed on leave. “An ICE officer facing charges for drunk driving certainly signals a lack of judgment and, you know, endangering public safety. That’s not what we entrust our law enforcement officers to do,” Sheff said.

Sheff added: “It’s really what amounts to essentially a double standard, right? You have this ICE officer out in the community engaging in enforcement activities, locking people up with a pending DWI charge, and they wouldn’t hesitate to go after people and throw them an ICE detention. For far less, right?”

An ICE spokesperson would not answer questions from KRQE News, but sent a statement:

The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct. Once a case is adjudicated, ICE will take appropriate action. ICE does not comment on specific ongoing internal personnel matters.

Torres’ lawyer, Monnica Barreras, sent this statement:

Ms. Torres is presumed innocent. This is a pending misdemeanor DWI case, and the defense has raised serious legal challenges to the stop, the investigation, and the admissibility of evidence. We have also asked the Court to address other sensitive issues through the proper legal process. We will not comment on protected or sensitive information, and we will litigate the case in court rather than in the media.