Former Las Cruces Dispatcher Charged with Making Terroristic Threats Against Dona Ana County

A former emergency dispatcher who made many terroristic threats against Dona Ana County facilities and staff over social media is presently being held on charges. Former Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority (MVRDA) employee Jason Rivera, 53, of Las Cruces, was taken before a federal judge and will remain in custody until his scheduled detention hearing on Tuesday, November 26.

The U.S. Department of Justice claims that Rivera’s concerning behavior is evident in a number of Facebook posts from April, one of which prompted a bomb sweep after he claimed that the MVRDA had explosives. Rivera increased his aggression by launching a website with a violent domain name directed at county officials, in addition to placing the dispatch authority under lockdown.

With an IP address connecting the threats to Rivera’s home, investigators have linked the concerning social media behavior to him. In an official law enforcement interview after his arrest on April 25, Rivera acknowledged that the posts came from his personal Facebook account. If found guilty of the present charges, he may spend up to ten years in prison.

Rivera worked for MVRDA for eight years prior to his 2020 departure, during which time he engaged in harassment, actions that led to disciplinary action, and conduct that raised concerns among his peers. The FBI’s Las Cruces Resident Agency and the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office worked together to investigate the case, with Assistant United States Attorney Ry Ellison leading the prosecution, according to an official announcement made by FBI Albuquerque Field Office Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda and U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez.

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