New Mexico is in outdoor news a lot lately.
Nearly four years ago, the New Mexico Supreme Court dropped a massive win for anglers, ruling that the public has a constitutional right to wade and fish in the state’s streams—even where they flow through private property. But while most landowners accepted the law, one Pecos River property owner, Erik Briones, allegedly decided to enforce his own rules using firearms, barbed wire, and heavy machinery.
On June 1, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced Briones’ arrest on five counts of aggravated assault. The arrest follows years of “hostile encounters” documented by local anglers, including a chilling 2023 video where Briones racks a shotgun shell and threatens to “target practice” across the river where a guide was fishing.
[The Conflict on the Pecos]
The Law: Public has the right to wade and fish.
The Landowner: Deployed shotguns, handguns, and barbed wire.
The Result: Arrest warrant and 5 counts of aggravated assault.
Aside from armed threats, the state alleges Briones played real-life supervillain by using an excavator to dig deep underwater trenches and stringing barbed wire along the riverbank. According to AG Torrez, these illegal modifications were designed to funnel wading fishermen into hazardous deep water, creating a literal drowning risk.
Landowners have tried repeatedly to fight the stream-access ruling, but every appeal—from the U.S. Supreme Court to the 10th Circuit—has been flatly rejected. As Torrez made clear, no one gets to use violence just because they disagree with the law.
Craving more of the details, witness statements, and legal drama? You can read the full story at Outdoor Life.