From controversy to candidacy: Former Belen police chief seeks Sandoval County’s top law enforcement job

A former police chief with a complex law enforcement background announced his candidacy for Sandoval County Sheriff, promising to expand drug enforcement and mental health crisis response for the county’s 154,000 residents.

Victor Rodriguez, who previously served as a lieutenant with the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, told supporters at a July campaign rally that he’s running to become sheriff in the November 2026 election. Despite steady rain, dozens of community members gathered to hear Rodriguez outline his six-point plan for law enforcement in New Mexico’s fastest-growing county.

“I’m committed to being a sheriff for everyone—because everyone deserves quality service,” Rodriguez said at the rally, according to his campaign press release.

Rodriguez’s early announcement puts him in direct competition with current Undersheriff Jose “Joe” Gonzales, who announced his own 2026 candidacy in July. The election is still more than a year away, with current Sheriff Jesse James Casaus serving through December 2026 after winning reelection in 2022.

Rodriguez brings more than two decades of law enforcement experience, according to his campaign biography. He previously served as a lieutenant with the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, overseeing civil and court services, criminal investigations, the school resource program and day-shift patrol officers.

His career also included time as an undercover officer with the New Mexico Department of Public Safety and service as police chief in multiple municipalities and tribal departments. After his tenure in Belen, Rodriguez served as police chief for Truth or Consequences. He then served as police chief for the Pueblo of Isleta for almost three years and currently works as a police lieutenant with the Pueblo of Zia.

Rodriguez said he holds dual master’s degrees in Business Administration and Criminal Justice, and says he’s graduated from top leadership programs, including Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command and FBI Command School #7.

Rodriguez’s law enforcement career has included significant legal disputes, which he addressed in detail when contacted for this story.

Most notably, the City of Belen paid Rodriguez more than $187,000 in 2020 to settle a lawsuit he filed claiming retaliation after he tried to report excessive use of force by officers under his command. Rodriguez served as Belen’s police chief from January 2019 to January 2020, but was placed on paid administrative leave six months into his tenure following complaints from within the department. Though an external investigation cleared him of wrongdoing, the Belen City Council voted not to renew his contract.

In his lawsuit against Belen, Rodriguez claimed Mayor Jerah Cordova told him to “look the other way” regarding excessive force violations by officers. KRQE News reported that Belen agreed to pay the settlement and provide Rodriguez with a letter of recommendation in exchange for him dropping all claims against the city.

“Due to my settlement agreement with the City of Belen, I am limited as to what I can comment, but I can say the two police officers involved in the excessive use of force incidents were referred for misconduct to the state law enforcement academy resulting in the suspension and/or revocation of their police officer certifications,” Rodriguez said in an email response to questions about his background.

He added that despite the employment dispute, “I still have a good professional working relationship with its current city councilors, mayor and city manager.”

Rodriguez was also involved in an earlier excessive force controversy in 2009 when he worked as an undercover officer for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. A civil lawsuit was filed against Rodriguez over an incident in a Clovis bar, but was dismissed in 2011 after DPS agreed to pay roughly $35,000 in settlement.

“An internal Department of Public Safety investigation cleared me of any wrongdoing as to the excessive use of force allegation and determined no evidence existed to support the excessive use of force allegation,” Rodriguez said. “I’d like to note that I was actually promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2011, transferring from Clovis to Santa Fe soon after this false allegation occurred based on my excellent work performance.”

Rodriguez said he would have preferred the case go to trial “to show the evidence that I was improperly accused of excessive use of force,” but the settlement was handled by the state’s risk management division under a different administration.

“In 25 years of faithful law enforcement service, I have never been referred for any police misconduct to the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy,” Rodriguez stated.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Rodriguez to the New Mexico Civil Rights Commission in 2020. When his appointment faced questions due to the legal controversies, a spokesperson for the governor defended the selection, telling the Albuquerque Journal that “Chief Rodriguez’s career, including his clear record of enforcing consequences for officers who used excessive force, is a testament to his qualifications for appointment.”

Rodriguez’s campaign outlined priorities that directly address issues facing Sandoval County’s diverse geography, which spans 3,714 square miles from Rio Rancho’s suburban neighborhoods to rural communities like Cuba and Jemez Springs.

His platform includes expanding the narcotics unit and partnering with federal agencies to combat the drug crisis, while supporting a Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program for recovery. Rodriguez also proposes creating dedicated crisis-response units and providing Crisis Intervention Team training for deputies to better handle mental health emergencies.

For rural areas often underserved by law enforcement, Rodriguez promises to boost patrols in Cuba, Jemez, the East Mountains and tribal pueblos while strengthening agreements with city, village and tribal police. He also proposed establishing a Metro District for Rio Rancho, Bernalillo and Corrales, plus an East Mountain substation.

“Sandoval County has three choices: the past, the present and the future. I have the forward thinking needed to help carry the fastest growing county into the future,” Rodriguez told supporters, according to the campaign.

Rodriguez emphasized his commitment to both accountability and due process in law enforcement.

“As always, I am committed to upholding police officer accountability and ensuring our community that police misconduct under my leadership will not be tolerated,” he said. “At the same time, I also understand based on my own experience of being improperly accused of misconduct that police officers can be wrongfully accused and as a police leader, we must ensure accused police officers receive ‘due process’ which includes us investigating any misconduct allegations in a fair and unbiased manner.”

Rodriguez’s campaign can be reached at vrodriguez4sheriff@gmail.com or (505) 850-9895.