A newly appointed sheriff in a troubled northern New Mexico county faces challenges in winning over supporters of his recently convicted predecessor and patrolling a vast area overrun by drug trafficking.
Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan takes over an office just a week after former Sheriff Thomas Rodella was convicted of brandishing a firearm and deprivation of rights during a traffic stop.
Rodella, once one of the most powerful politicians in the state, was ousted from office Thursday by county commissioners after he refused to resign.
Lujan defeated Rodella in a June Democratic primary by 200 votes.
Steve Martinez, an assistant history professor at Santa Fe Community College, says Lujan will lead a sheriff's office that still has Rodella supporters.
The county also is battling a heroin epidemic and a struggling economy.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.