Former Albuquerque police officer Honorio Alba Jr. has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from a defense attorney to dismiss DWI cases, exposing systemic corruption within the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez revealed that Alba was part of a broader bribery scheme involving nearly all officers in the APD unit responsible for drunk driving apprehensions.

The corruption scheme allowed APD officers to receive bribes in exchange for not filing charges against DWI suspects or skipping court appearances, enabling many offenders to evade prosecution.

Alba, along with another officer, advised a victim named Jose Vasquez to hire attorney Thomas Clear, who allegedly facilitated the corruption by arranging case dismissals for a fee.

Vasquez was wrongfully arrested for DWI in September 2020, despite being sober and wearing a mask, which prevented Alba from detecting any alcohol.

In a related incident, Vasquez's wife recorded the encounter, and although a breath test showed he was not intoxicated, he faced multiple charges, including DWI.

Carlos Sandoval-Smith experienced a similar wrongful DWI charge by Officer Daniel Montaño in June 2023, despite passing sobriety tests and having a low blood alcohol level.

Despite receiving tips about the corrupt activities, the APD failed to investigate until pressured by the FBI, raising serious concerns about accountability within the department.

The federal corruption investigation commenced in January 2024, resulting in searches of Clear's office and several officers' homes.

In February 2025, both Alba and Montaño pleaded guilty to federal bribery and racketeering charges, alongside Clear, who admitted to running a DWI scheme since the late 1990s.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed by Vasquez and other victims, alleging violations of state and federal law due to the corrupt practices within the APD.

The lawsuit claims that the city and Police Chief Harold Medina failed to adequately supervise officers, allowing the corruption to persist unchecked for years.