Hockley County Sheriff Investigators were notified by jail administration personnel of an inmate possibly carrying contraband inside the detention center, Sunday.
Administration personnel received a tip from other detainees regarding the inmate possibly carrying contraband.
An investigation was immediately initiated upon receipt of the information and the alleged involved individuals were separated allowing searches to be conducted of the jail cells.
No contraband was located inside of the cell areas of the accused involved individuals. Based on the information received, a search warrant was obtained for the body of a detainee in order to search the person for suspected controlled substances.
Additionally, the entirety of the detention center was searched and no additional contraband was located.
Based on the search, a quantity of suspected methamphetamine was recovered from the detainee.
Deputies arrested the individual on multiple charges on Friday, May 26, and was searched at the roadside, as well as multiple times in the jail, before being moved to a general population housing area on Saturday, May 27. At the time of entry into the facility, there was no probable cause to conduct an invasive cavity search of the individual.
Jail administration and law enforcement personnel were notified early Sunday, May 28, by detention staff and the investigation was initiated into the possibility of narcotics being smuggled into the detention center. Searches were conducted of multiple areas with no contraband located in any housing, common, or working areas of the jail.
A search warrant was obtained by investigators on Sunday, May 28, for the purposes of searching the person of the detainee, and the suspected controlled substances were located.
The individual was transported to an area hospital for the search, and suspected methamphetamine was located.
A second detainee was also found to have a small quantity of suspected methamphetamine during a search of her person.
Based on the investigation, the individual, identified as Janessa Perez, 30 years of age, of Hobbs, New Mexico, was served with additional warrants for the following offenses: manufacture, delivery of controlled substance in penalty group one, between four and 200 grams, and prohibited substance in a correctional facility, both felony offenses.
The second inmate, Dlanee Alexander, 25, of Levelland, was served with warrants for possession of controlled substance penalty group one, less than one gram, and prohibited substance in a correctional facility.
Hockley County Sheriff Ray Scifres explained that the potential for distribution of contraband inside the jail poses an immediate threat to the safety of staff, as well as detainees.
“The work of investigators and our detention staff helped prevent further issues and uncovered the actions of inmates attempting to widely introduce drugs into the jail,” said Scifres. “ I am proud of the work our staff has done and for the recognition of the issue, and their hard work, to locate and seize the narcotics in a timely manner.”
The matter remains under investigation and no additional information is available at this time. All subjects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.