I have authored this letter in support of Monica Salazar for the position of Rio Arriba County Sheriff for which she is more than imminently qualified.

She possesses high integrity, emotional intelligence, and strong communications skills to build trust, alongside strategic vision and technical proficiency in budgeting, policy, and risk management. As the former undersheriff, she acted as mentor who prioritized officer well-being and community-centered policing, demonstrated adaptability, accountability, and the ability to foster innovation while managing high-pressure situations.

Monica is a strong leader who has always focused on inspiring employees, encouraging growth, and quickly addressing low morale. She has always prioritized community trust, public safety, and a positive, supportive work culture. Monica truly embodies the motto of “protect and serve.”

Michael S. Vigil

Former DEA chief of international operations

Albuquerque

Salazar is the Right Choice

I write this letter to express my support for Monica L. Salazar as the next Rio Arriba County Sheriff. I believe Monica will bring a “new vision” to the department. She has the “specialized training” needed, having developed an arsenal of special skills over her career, that she will lead with. Monica has much field experience, while also having served in leadership positions in her career. Of course, her first order of business will be to keep 100% of Rio Arriba residents safe. She knows that.

Monica doesn’t want anything given to her. She wants to earn your trust, and your vote. Monica has 19 years of law enforcement experience, 15 years of which are as a patrol officer, having served 10 of those years as a Sergeant, and having served 3 years as the Rio Arriba Undersheriff. Monica has also earned two college degrees, first a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada-Reno, and later a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University. She has also taken many relevant law enforcement courses at various academies, and from many curriculums.

I met Monica Salazar in 2006, when she interviewed for a Special Agent, Criminal Investigator position at Tax Fraud Investigations Division (TFID), NM Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD). In 2003, I retired from the U.S. Treasury, IRS-Criminal Investigation after a 25-year career, and was hired by TRD Cabinet Secretary Jan Goodwin, with one charge. That charge was to create a tax fraud criminal law enforcement arm at TRD. As the founding Director of TFID, I had to start a new investigative arm for the State of New Mexico. Everything was new.

I drafted new legislation that would have to be enacted as state criminal statutes, and new job descriptions had to be developed for unique investigative positions of this new criminal enforcement arm. A specialized financial investigations training curriculum had to be put together to train the new agents. New relationships with all 13 judicial District Attorneys and their prosecuting staffs and other law enforcement agencies had to be nurtured. As the appointed founding director of TFID, I held that position for 8 years under the Bill Richardson Administration, and subsequently an additional 6 years under the Susana Martinez Administration, until my retirement. It was always a busy time.

Monica was quite impressive during her interview. She showed poise, confidence, knowledge and a thirst for wanting to contribute to “something new”. She stood out. Before the interview came to a close it was clear that Monica would be selected to work at TFID. During her period working at TFID she received intensive on-the-job training from Financial Investigation instructors who had taught hundreds of law enforcement officers, including teaching at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia. Subject matter taught was all germane to successfully investigating situations where one had to know “How to Follow the Money, How to Follow the Paper Trail, How to Follow the Electronic Trail.”

She learned what “elements of the crime” had to be proven in embezzlement cases, kickback cases, and bribery cases. She also learned that most of these predicate financial crimes lent themselves to additional built-in charges, such as income tax fraud/tax evasion cases, and possibly money laundering charges. I will say that during her time with TFID Monica learned how to thoroughly interview subjects of investigations and critical witnesses as well. She learned what “probable cause” entailed, in regard to obtaining a financial search warrant.

She learned that a good criminal investigator, especially one who investigates financial crimes, has many tools at her disposal, such as building a financial profile of someone under investigation. She learned the rules of evidence, and what different sources of information existed that would assist her, She also learned the different analysis that could be done, including the “Specific Items Method of Proof”, the “Net Worth or Bank Deposits Methods of Proof”, and other hybrid methods of proof available to her, including using financial institutions and records kept, in tracing the movement of money. She also became familiar with special investigative techniques that were sometimes called for including undercover operations, link analysis, what a computer forensic examiner could do, surveillance, and how and when to use such specialized investigative techniques. And above all she learned how to articulate her investigative findings and recommendations, whether it was in the writing of an investigative report or in presenting a case orally before a grand jury.

During her time with TFID Monica contributed to a division that achieved a 97% successful prosecution rate, with 86 out of 87 financial crime cases resulting in convictions during the years I was there. She learned to do her research, work independently and work in a team atmosphere, as well. When she came to me to let me know, in person, that she wanted to work as a patrol officer, there were no hard feelings. She thanked me for the support she received from TFID, and for the special training she had received in financial investigations, and all the investigative tools that she had become familiar with, some that she got to use as a TFID Special Agent, that she could not learn anywhere else.

I believe Rio Arriba County residents will be well served by the 1st Female head of Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office. Of course, Safety First! A Drug-Free county is most important too!! And educating the residents how to further protect themselves from property crimes will be at the top of her mission. She will employ various new and some steadfast strategies to accomplish the above.

Monica will bring almost 20 years of varied experience to the Sheriff’s Office, and I absolutely know she knows what to do in cases where both private and public funds are being embezzled, where ghost vendors/creditors are being paid from public taxpayer dollars, and where assets are being pilfered from the public coffers. Society has to know that asset misappropriation is a crime. Stealing from a private for-profit business, a non-profit, or from local government entities hurts individuals and organizations. When monies are illegally taken from local government entities such as municipalities, school systems or counties, monies meant to provide “full-staffing” services, such as law enforcement protection, are depleted. Our county residents lose!

Monica and her team following the money, proving those crimes, and seizing those monies and assets, to be returned to the private citizens, or to the local governments, as the case may be, and holding the law breakers accountable, will make you very satisfied that you voted for Monica L. Salazar.

She told me many years ago that she wanted to patrol her community and make the community safe. She has lived her wish. Now, she wants a bigger role. She wants to head an organization where she can do that for the entire Rio Arriba County.

Monica has prepared herself well for the position she now seeks. She wants to “earn your trust, and your vote”. That’s why she’s out every day knocking on doors, shaking hands, meeting people and informing all of you what she would like to do. Only you can make it happen. I believe she will prove to you that she is the right choice, and she will make you very satisfied that you voted for Monica.

Get out and vote, and make a difference. Currently, America is going through much. We need a newness to our approach, to make our county/country safe. I believe Monica is well-prepared, and will bring that newness to the county, and will not be afraid to make the right decisions, as there will be many. She knows she can build a new team that can reach high, and accomplish much, protecting the county’s citizens, the elderly, youth, properties, and taxpayer dollars. Monica has the experience, knowledge, skills, specialized training, integrity and fortitude to do the job required.

Alvan Romero, CPA CFE

Retired IRS-Criminal Investigation Division special agent

Retired NM TRD-Tax Fraud Investigations Division founding director

Former adjunct instructor at UNM Anderson Schools of Management

Investigative training, financial investigator, auditor and consultant

Albuquerque