A Santa Fe firefighter placed on paid leave amid an internal investigation in August resigned Friday, a city spokesperson confirmed.

Jesse Flores had worked for the city since 2006 and was named an emergency medical services captain in 2021 before being demoted in recent years. He was placed on leave Aug. 11, spokesperson Regina Ruiz said.

She declined to disclose why he was placed on leave but claimed it was unrelated to The New Mexican 's inquiry — that same day — into a 2024 criminal case in which Flores was accused of attempting to sell Suboxone to an undercover narcotics task force agent. Suboxone is used to treat opiate addiction and is also a heavily trafficked drug.

According to Flores, however, the disciplinary action was directly tied to the case — rather, it was due to his

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