Only on ABC-7: Borderland mothers battling meth addiction, arrests on the rise

Karleth Acosta was smoking meth when she got a call from a Texas Child Protective Services worker.

“I was getting high,” Acosta said. “He wanted to meet me and I didn’t go.”

The young mother said she first tried the drug at 18 years old. She had given birth just twelve days before her interview with ABC-7. Her other daughter is a toddler. She admitted to ABC-7 she smoked meth throughout both her pregnancies.

“It’s sad to say that my urge is as big as how much I love my children,” Acosta said. “It’s something that right now I’m fighting.”

Young mothers like Acosta can have a second chance at Aliviane, an El Paso rehabilitation center and non-profit that provides housing and support for drug and alcohol addiction. The state of Texas refers many clients for treatment, including Acosta.

“I call it the ‘Little Heaven House,’ this one,” Acosta said. “Because if it weren’t for here, CPS was going to take my baby, too. So, I see it like a huge chance.”

Meth treatment grows among moms

“Methamphetamine use is skyrocketing,” said Guillermo Valenzuela, the community affairs officer for Aliviane.

In the past seven months, the treatment center has seen a 20 percent increase in the number of mothers seeking treatment for meth, Valenzuela told ABC-7.

“What the users report is that the high is lasting longer and it’s of higher quality,” Valenzuela said.

Valenzuela suspects the increase in use among mothers in the Borderland is fueled by increased meth production from cartels in Juarez.

“The folks that are carrying these violent acts, these horrible wars have one thing in mind,” Valenzuela said. “That is to take their product into the U.S.”

Arrests on the rise

“That’s something that has certainly encountered a spike,” said Third Judicial District Attorney Mark D’Antonio in New Mexico.

“You don’t want to throw every mom or dad who has a meth problem in jail,” D’Antonio said.

Child abuse arrests increased in 2017 after dropping slightly in 2016, according to D’Antonio’s office. “Abandonment or abuse of a child” falls under Section 30-6-1 of New Mexico Statute.

Section (J) of that charge is specific to a child who has been exposed to meth. However, in a review of news releases issued by Las Cruces police concerning child abuse arrests, suspects were charged with either the (D) or (E) section of the statute, which address child endangerment.

Because ABC-7 could not validate which of the hundreds of cases were specific to meth use, below is data for child abuse in the county.

The problem of increased meth use among parents has also caught the attention of New Mexico’s governor.

“It’s cheap; it’s inexpensive,” Governor Susana Martinez told ABC-7 by phone. “It’s coming from Mexico. They are able to afford it. When you ingest meth and you are pregnant, there are long-term consequences when that baby is born.”

“The behavior of that parent is what caused the baby to be born addicted.” – New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez

The governor, who is a former prosecutor, told ABC-7 there must be harsher penalties for parents who abuse meth around their children.

“Have you ever seen a baby that’s born addicted to heroin or meth?” Martinez asked. “That is the most horrific sight, to see an itty bitty baby going through withdrawals… the behavior of that parent is what caused the baby to be born addicted.”

A cycle of abuse

“It’s very challenging to be able to counter the powers of addiction in a controlling relationship,” Valenzuela said.

Acosta began smoking meth when she met the father of her two daughters. She said her partner used her addiction to control her.

“When I got pregnant with my first daughter, I stopped using (meth) with him,” Acosta said. “It got to the point where our relationship got violent. He would hit me because I didn’t want to use with him.”

As the young mother grew more addicted to meth, she said she had to choose between prostituting herself for the drug or living with the abusive father of her children, who would provide it for free.

“Many of the ladies that we have that we’re providing treatment to came from abusive relationships or where their partner was the one supplying drugs for them,” Valenzuela said.

“Even though if he would like hurt me, emotionally or like hurt me physically, I knew that once I smoked, all that was going to go away,” Acosta said.

A second chance

“I’m really thankful that my daughter wasn’t born addicted to it,” Acosta said.

The young mother arrived at Aliviane in March, addicted to meth and about to give birth to her infant daughter. For the first time in years, Acosta claims she has a support system.

“When I leave here, I want to be a healthy mom,” Acosta said. “I want to leave here strong enough to say No. I love my daughters more and I went through a lot.”

When Acosta completes her treatment in June, she told ABC-7 she doesn’t want to see the father of her children, who is still smoking meth.

“I barely realized this here, that I wasn’t really in love with him,” Acosta said. “I was in love with the drug.”

The facility is licensed for 52 women, Valenzuela said. Aliviane usually has between 40 to 45 clients with 20 to 30 of their children. After leaving the facility, Valenzuela said there is a chance any woman can relapse.

“Aliviane is a place of second chances,” Valenzuela said. “We are always with our arms wide open for people that experience a relapse. There is no limit. There’s no conditions. If people want treatment, we’re here to help.”

Acosta is fighting to regain custody of her one-year-old daughter, who lives with her great-grandmother.

“I know if I were to leave and relapse, I can lose my daughter, so right now, that’s one of the main things holding me stable,” Acosta said.

Aliviane is supported by grants, the state of Texas and insurance. Valenzuela said “there is no cost associated” with treatment. If you know of a woman addicted to any substance, call them at (915) 782-4000 or visit their website. The facility also greatly appreciates donations of toys, cribs and other items.

“I want to leave strong,” Acosta said. “Knowing that temptation comes my way, I’m going to say No.”