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NMSU football player arrested on family violence charges

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A New Mexico State University football player was arrested this weekend and charged with two counts of battery against a family member, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.

Drake Williams, 18, was arrested by New Mexico State University Police on Friday, March 13, and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Facility on no bond.

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Williams is listed as a sophomore linebacker on the football team’s web portal.

According to court documents obtained by KTSM, Williams got into an argument with the victim in his dorm room on March 8. According to the document, Williams grabbed the victim by her sweater and forced her to leave the room multiple times. The victim had bruising on the back of his neck, according to court documents.

The victim and the suspect had been in a romantic relationship since the fall of 2025, according to court documents.

According to court documents, on March 12, Williams entered the victim’s room to take his debit card and a verbal argument ensued. The verbal argument turned physical, with Williams grabbing the victim by the throat and left arm and demanding the card.

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According to court documents, the victim did not have bruising on her neck from this incident, but did have bruising on her arm, consistent with her statement to police. Additionally, there were cuts on her bracelet when she allegedly grabbed her arm.

An NMSU football spokesperson said, “We are aware of the situation and the student-athlete is cooperating with law enforcement. As this is an ongoing matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”

Interim NMSU Police Chief Justin Dunivan said: “As this is an ongoing criminal investigation, we are limited at this time in providing any additional information beyond the information contained in the criminal complaint/arrest warrant.”

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