Albuquerque, NM, Oct. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Judge Elaine Lujan, Second Judicial District Court, granted Bernalillo District Attorney Raúl Torrez’s motion for an injunction against the extremist outlaw militia group New Mexico Civil Guard (NMCG).

Judge Lujan’s order prohibits the New Mexico Civil Guard, its directors, officers, agents, employees, members and successors from organizing and publicly operating as part of a military entity that is independent of the New Mexico Civil Authority and not lawful by the Governor was activated by New Mexico. In addition, the judge barred the group from performing law enforcement functions by using or projecting the ability to use organized force at protests, demonstrations or public gatherings.

This decision grants a default judgment motion filed by District Attorney Torrez following the behavior of the group’s founder during testimony. Bryce Provance, who was designated to appear on behalf of NMCG, flagrantly flouted a court order requiring the interrogation and ridiculed the court proceedings by refusing to identify himself or answer basic questions. Provance also made a statement with hand-drawn images that were both menacing and lewd. Of the little information Provance provided during his testimony, he admitted that he destroyed all of the records for the NMCG, including by pouring bleach on his computer and setting it on fire.

The lawsuit was filed in July 2020 after members of the NMCG were dispatched to a protest to demand the removal of a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate near Old Town Albuquerque. NMCG wore camouflage clothing and carried assault rifles and other military equipment to hijack law enforcement and threaten public safety. In an already tense environment, the NMCG’s heavily armed presence aggravated a protester unrelated to the group and injured another protester.

Prior to the lawsuit, NMCG had several…