FBI Settles FTCA Case After Violent Pre-Dawn Raid Based on Mistaken Identity of Innocent New Mexico Family
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — The Borunda family has reached a settlement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the Federal Tort Claims Act following a violent, pre-dawn raid on their home that resulted from mistaken identity and left the family traumatized, their residence damaged, and their lives permanently altered—despite the absence of any criminal conduct.
The Borundas were targeted not because of evidence of wrongdoing, but because of where they lived and unfounded assumptions made during a federal investigation. The family was swept into a law enforcement operation based on proximity and appearance, rather than facts. Ralph Borunda was treated as a suspect despite having no criminal ties, and that error set in motion a raid that devastated an innocent household.
At approximately 4:50 a.m. on August 31, 2023, dozens of armed officers descended on the Borunda home in Alamogordo. Explosive devices were deployed, windows were shattered, and the front door was torn completely off its hinges. Six smoke devices were released inside the home—three upstairs and three downstairs—filling the residence with smoke and chaos.
Two smoke devices were deployed near elderly family members aged 91 and 86. Another was deployed into the bedroom of 59-year-old Ralph Borunda. One device ignited a fire involving an upstairs mattress, further endangering those inside.
Ralph Borunda was forced from his bedroom at gunpoint, ordered to walk barefoot through broken glass, then taken outside and restrained for hours. During this time, he was repeatedly questioned about alleged gang affiliations he did not have, denied the ability to check on his elderly parents, and ultimately ordered to leave his own home.
Pete and Lucy Borunda were awakened to armed officers in their bedroom, ordered out, and confined under guard for hours without meaningful explanation. The experience was deeply degrading, frightening, and destabilizing, particularly for an elderly couple with no history of criminal involvement.
The operation lasted more than eight hours and involved 40 to 50 FBI agents, along with additional officers from other agencies. The home was left heavily damaged and ransacked.
No charges were ever filed. No evidence of criminal activity was discovered. The Borunda family has been fully vindicated, and any implication of criminal association was unfounded.
The FBI has now entered into a settlement resolving the family’s Federal Tort Claims Act case. The resolution reflects recognition of the harm caused by a raid driven by mistaken identity and the severe trauma inflicted on an innocent family.
The Borunda family was represented by attorneys Eric Postow, Damian Taylor, and Jason Ehrenberg, whose coordinated legal advocacy contributed to the successful resolution of the matter.
“This family was treated as suspects without cause and subjected to overwhelming force in their own home,” said Eric Postow, counsel for the Borunda family. “This settlement confirms what should have been clear from the outset—the Borundas did nothing wrong.”
