Salazar said Moreira deserves more scrutiny because the state's debt and the allegations of theft happened on his watch. All rights reserved. Prosecutors have said in court that they believe Flores helped a former governor of Tamaulipas, another state that borders Texas, launder bribe money from the Zetas. Deputies. Interviews, court documents, property records and regulatory filings show that those under investigation built a sprawling business network in Texas, including commercial real estate developments, private residences and restaurants. The massive drug bust took place during a traffic stop in San Clemente, a wealthy enclave about 75 miles inland from the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego, multiple Border Patrol sources told Fox News. All of them were indicted on federal drug. When he took the stand in his own defense, the first thing he did was admit he had lied to investigators about being at the kennels, saying he was paranoid of law enforcement because he was addicted to opioids and had pills in his pocket the night of the killings. A network of politicians and businessmen from the Mexican state of Coahuila relocated to San Antonio over the past seven years, and prosecutors say a corrupt group among them invested millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks here from drug traffickers and state contractors. A similar lawsuit is seeking to forfeit for $2.3 million Villarreal has in another Bermuda bank. That's it. It is my understanding that the Gonzalez family has contributed greatly to the economy of San Antonio, his lawyer Carlos Quezada said. Upon conviction of the drug conspiracy charge, Ojeda, Juan Estrada, Lus Estrada, Rodriguez, Hernandez, Acevedo, Villarreal and Flores face between 10 years and life in federal prison; Lumbreras, Casas, DeLuna and Pena face between five and 40 years in federal prison; and Cuellar faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Torres remains a fugitive in Mexico. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. In court records, prosecutors wrote Zamora is ostensibly working as a self-employed plumber, but somehow came up with $500,000 to purchase drugs in the Bay Area, and lives in a $3 million home in . Jesse Martinez, age 41 of San Antonio; Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. A major drug bust occurred in Eastland County. On an October morning last year, residents in . The nighttime stakeout targeted her father. Zoos in the past were judged by who had the most animals, San Antonio Zoo chief Tim Morrow says. They are steadfastly in his camp, defense attorney Jim Griffin said after the hearing. The prosecutors' deposition request included a list of people and entities they would be asking about, including the Moreira brothers, their nephew, a number of Villarreal's family members, Chaires, Humberto Moreira's former secretary, and Roberto Casimiro Gonzalez Trevio, the Coahuila cable magnate whose nephew was arrested in San Antonio and whose brother served as the state's spokesman here. His lawyer, Roy Barrera Jr., said Flores wasn't involved in public corruption or organized crime. Gutierrez faces between five and 40 years upon conviction. Former Texas State Rep. Poncho Nevrez at AudioRec Productions, a recording studio in Piedras Negras, Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. Drug dealing and violence go hand in hand. The U.S. He asked for an investigation of those persons, many of whom are part of society and are well-known and who have financial relations with (organized crime) and who have made their fortunes through them. Moreira, the former leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, is close to Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto. Deputies and Drug Enforcement Administration agents discovered the lab Thursday night after the arrest of 39-year-old Jose . The company also owns billboards around the state. Michelle Zamarripa, 59, of San Antonio I was shocked, Ibarra said of her boyfriend's arrest. The lawsuit seeks $2.8 million in an account Torres has in Bermuda. Sheriff's deputies there said they stopped Villarreal, his wife and brother-in-law Oswaldo Coronado traveling with $67,000. UVALDE Texas - A major drug bust has happened Tuesday morning in Uvalde . As I tell you again, I respect this court. Ed Rodriguez, a former IRS agent who is not involved in the case, said there could be perfectly legitimate reasons for businessmen to distance themselves from properties they own, including protection from lawsuits. All he had was Cablevision, but they made him a multimillionaire with enormous power. Agents arrested Lumbreras on Monday night. Oscar Jesus Lopez, age 23 of Laredo; The Zetas in particular had spread their control to Coahuila's mining sector, Moreira said. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Waters said none of the victims of the crime members of Murdaughs family and the parents and relatives of his wife wished to speak on behalf of the prosecution before sentencing. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. ROBERT MCLEROY, STAFF / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, S.A.-area rancher catches the hearts of American Idol judges, USAA wants some remote employees in the office three days a week, Take a look inside this $3.5 million 'mystery' mansion, New food truck park opens at The CO-OP SA, 10 things to do this weekend in San Antonio. He said fentanyl pills are often made in backyard labs, and often pushed to young people disguised as other drugs. Albelardo Oviedo, age 29 of San Antonio. Oscar Oviedo, age 26 of San Antonio; Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. Marshals Service, IRS Criminal Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Texas Department of Public Safety, Bexar County Sheriffs Office, Terrell Hills Police Department, Seguin Police Department and San Antonio Police Department conducted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation called Operation Alamo Fade. The press conference took place around 11:45 a.m. Friday in the 500 block of Porter. Villarreal's attorney said the majority owners in the Texas LLCs are not Villarreal's family members, but a Panamanian company, and that the San Antonio property was purchased with money from lenders in Mexico, not kickbacks. Over the next few months, Villarreal, Moreira who by that time had left Coahuila to become the national leader of the PRI as it was poised to retake Mexico's presidency and Torres, who had taken over the governorship, were forced to leave their respective jobs. The house in Champions Ridge is owned by Raul Gonzlez Fernandez, but over the years it's been owned by his father, brother, uncle and by Vicente Chaires Yaez, Moreira's personal secretary while he was governor. During todays arrests authorities seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine, over 30 pounds of hydroponic marijuana, methamphetamine, three handguns and approximately $235,000. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Monday February 10, 2003. The massive drug bust took place during a traffic stop in San Clemente, a wealthy enclave about 75 miles inland from the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego, multiple Border Patrol sources told Fox News. They didn't do any mining.. Moreira has not been charged, but his political career came to an abrupt end in 2011 when it was revealed that under his governorship Coahuila had racked up nearly $3 billion in debt. Salazar said the street value of the seized drugs is over $1.2 million. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. He has also covered immigration, minority affairs and legal affairs as part of the projects team here and for other print, TV and radio outlets. That's why Sorianello had a strong message to parents: pay attention to your kids. He quickly left Mexico for the U.S. and showed up in East Texas in February 2012 where he was again arrested. (Robert McLeroy/Staff). Prosecutors have moved to seize tens of millions of dollars in San Antonio real estate including a home in The Dominion, commercial property on U.S. 281 and a pharmacy on Stone Oak Parkway and indicted six people under an investigation into a nexus of politics, private industry and one of Mexico's most notorious drug gangs. Man charged with murder cut off ankle monitor, captured after being spotted in San Antonio, 'Especially lush': Wildflower Center predicts above-average bluebonnet season, Spring-like weekend in store for San Antonio | FORECAST, 2 separate $10,000 rewards offered by law enforcement for the suspect involved in shooting two Corpus Christi officers, Police search for suspects who may be involved in robbery, Video shows possible suspect vehicle connected to Army soldier's murder on New Year's Day. Gonzlez Trevio wouldn't comment and officials at the Mexican Consulate and in San Antonio's International Relations Office said they're not familiar with him. Villarreal was involved in facilitating the purchase of the properties, Houston attorney Michael J. Wynne said. Boy, 11, shoots self in head with gun he found in apartment, Photos show a massive alligator on an Atascosa County road, Look inside historic $2.3 million King William home. Jesus Gerardo Vasquez, age 19 of San Antonio; Today, federal, state and local authorities arrested 26 individuals, including "TMM General" Raul Ramos, and are looking for four others in connection with a heroin/cocaine trafficking operation in the San Antonio area announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr.; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge The bust happened at a Best Western off Loop 410 near Callaghan Road. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois. In total, officials found seven kilos of heroin and 1.5 kilos of meth, according to the BCSO. Wynne, Villarreal's attorney who was at the hotel meeting, said he's trying to show the Texas properties were purchased with legitimate funds. In October 2012, Jos Eduardo Moreira, Humberto's son, was found murdered outside the border city of Acua, and several police officials were arrested in connection with the slaying. Nevrez hit a . The indictment also charges Ojeda with two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Bryan Anthony Brown, age 33 of San Antonio; An official website of the United States government. A locked padlock But they had a mountain of circumstantial evidence, including the video putting Murdaugh at the scene of the killings five minutes before his wife and son stopped using their cellphones forever. All the billboards that the PRI used in its campaigns they would rent from Roberto, and they'd easily get the permits from the city governments.. A federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges the following defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance: Francisco Garza aka Pancho, 52, of San Antonio Jason Buch, Guillermo Contreras, San Antonio Express-News. Instructions. An employee of a residential facility for immigrant families and the father of a girl shot dead by federal agents in San Antonio 18 years ago are among 14 alleged members of a drug ring charged in a new federal indictment. He liked to stare me down as he would walk by me during this trial. Jesus Manuel DeLuna aka "Chuy," 48, of San Antonio; Erik Jason Pena, 41, of San Antonio; and Omar Cuellar, 47, of San Antonio. Tuesday, June 22nd 2021. Roberto Casimiro Gonzlez Trevio's properties are nominally owned by a complex structure of companies. Karen Lastiri was arrested after Bexar County Sheriffs deputies found 52.28 kilograms of meth in her vehicle during a traffic stop, according to court documents. In 2011, a pair of Mexican senators called for an investigation into Chaires and his investment in real estate and in Coahuila radio and television stations. Prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty in this case, and Newman handed down the harshest possible sentence he could consecutive life sentences without parole. The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired in 2020 to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. But then they got word it had started again. It is our position that it's just a front for money laundering, Herberg said. Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. If convicted of the latest conspiracy charges, Villarreal and the others each face 10 years to life in federal prison. Its radio and television stations have a reputation for supporting the Institutional Revolutionary Party, known by its Spanish acronym PRI, in general and the Moreiras in particular. Six people are in custody following a drug bust in east Bexar County earlier this week, according to the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested her after the discovery of drugs, officials said. The former governor, Eugenio Hernndez Flores, has said those allegations are false. Salazar said the three suspects face charges of human smuggling, engaging in organized crime . BCSO AND DEA TAG UNIT DRUG BUST Multiple agencies conducted an arrest operation Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021 which resulted in fifteen indictments being served and the arrest of seven suspects. Like a traditional mafia, the Zetas also are involved in public works fraud, creating fake companies or suborning legitimate businesses and bribing public officials in exchange for government contracts that are inflated or never completed. Nicolas Rodriguez, age 39 of San Antonio; U.S. authorities were ramping up their investigation after Gonzalez's arrest on drug charges. In the following months, details of the U.S. investigation began trickling out through a series of lawsuits filed by federal and state prosecutors to seize bank accounts and property owned by limited liability companies that had been set up by Villarreal, Coronado, another brother-in-law, Villarreal's wife and his alleged mistress. And there's a correlation between that and the approximately 93,000 overdose deaths in the country," said Dante Sorianello, DEA Special Agent. Gonzlez Fernandez didn't respond to letters written to him in jail, and his new attorney, San Antonio white collar crime expert Cynthia Orr, wouldn't comment. Jacob Sanchez, 21, of San Antonio. Francisco Manuel Mata-Martinez, 41, of El Paso, was indicted. Juan Carlos Robles, age 35 of San Antonio; Over the past century, your family including you have been prosecuting people here in this courtroom, and many have received the death penalty, probably for lesser conduct, the judge said. Javier Armando Casas, 40, of Pharr; Marshals Service and the Bexar County Sheriffs Office assisted with arrests. DRUG BUST: The Crystal City Police Department Special Response Team recovered and seized numerous amounts of drugs Wednesday. Roberto Casimiro Gonzlez Trevio's company, RCG Radio y Televisin, has come a long way since the family business started 30 years ago, when it launched as Cablevision, the first cable company in Mexico. Joe Angel Villarreal later was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for leading a large cocaine-trafficking group. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Of the 14 people indicted Wednesday, at least 10 have been taken into custody, including Jacqueline Alvarez, 57, of San Antonio, who works for the GEO Group at the Karnes County Family Residential Center. The former governor, critics said, was adept at bringing the news media to his side, leaning on advertisers or offering up party and government advertising as an enticement. Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America, Report Waste, Fraud, Abuse or Misconduct to the Inspector General, Find Help and Information for Crime Victims, Register, Apply for Permits, or Request Records, Monitor Selection for Corporate Criminal Enforcement. He's facing a federal charge of possession with an intent to distribute over 500 grams of a controlled substance, according to Salazar. It might have been the monster you become," Newman said. Among those charged are Villarreal, who is in a San Antonio jail awaiting trial, and Coahuila's former interim governor, Jorge Juan Torres Lpez, a fugitive. Find more AP coverage of the case: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-murdaugh. They are either identified as being investors in some of these corporations, or persons with knowledge of some of the transactions, Herberg said. The situation is politically fraught. Ashley Villarreal who was shot and critically wounded on Motes street at S. San Joaquin just a few houses down from her home. The multiagency taskforce handling the case includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas attorney general's office and the Internal Revenue Service. Properties that the feds moved to seize in the case suggested they were looking at something more than a simple dope smuggling investigation. Of the 14 people indicted Wednesday, at least 10 have been taken into custody, including Jacqueline Alvarez, 57, of San Antonio, who works for the GEO Group at the Karnes County Family. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( He surrendered to state police on Oct. 29, 2011, and was released on bond within hours. This arrest operation also resulted in firearms, currency, and a large amount of methamphetamine being seized from these individuals. His saga began in mid-2011, when news broke of Coahuila's massive debt. Drug Bust November 25, 2022 8:35 am . Fernando Salazar, a recently elected senator from Coahuila who's in the opposing National Action Party, or PAN, said he thinks the problem goes well beyond the former treasurer and interim governor. MEDINA COUNTY, Texas More than 20 arrests have been made as part of a multi-agency investigation into drug distribution in south-central Texas after a . The indictment also charges Haggard with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, namely a Taurus semi-automatic pistol on August 28, 2020. Deputies detained Ashley Mendez, 28, and Ruben Zambrano, 38, in a West Bexar County drug bust. For decades, that meant that practically anyone who ended up in court whatever side of the law they found themselves on would have a Murdaugh either watching their back or staring them down. One of his Texas limited liability companies the one that shows up on deed records is controlled by a Dutch company, which is controlled by another Texas LLC, which is controlled by a trust. Deputies detained her and found 5 THC vape pens on the front seat, authorities said. Ivan Herrera has worked as a journalist in San Antonio since 2016. Now he's found a new voice in recovery. Joseph Richard Guerrero, age 28 of San Antonio; The indictment also charges Ojeda with two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Phone Number: (713) 693-3329 For Immediate Release Twelve Indicted for Drug Trafficking in San Antonio Area SAN ANTONIO - Twelve San Antonio residents face federal drug trafficking charges, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. Also among the defendants is Joe Angel Villarreal, 55. According to Sorianello, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, over 50 times greater or stronger than heroine. Murdaugh faced the judge in the Colleton County courtroom on the circuit where his father, grandfather and great-grandfather tried cases as the elected prosecutor for more than 80 years. More than $1 billion worth of cocaine has been seized at the Philadelphia Port on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.They say the drug bust netted approximately 16.5 tons of the . This comes as state officials said they've seen a surge in fentanyl seizures with DPS reporting a 950% increase from 2020. Bexar County prosecutors say the treasurer, Hctor Javier Villarreal Hernndez, wired millions of dollars to Texas that he received from kickbacks. Murdaugh's brother and surviving son sat behind him in the courtroom every day. During the stop, a search of the vehicle was conducted. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Ojeda faces a mandatory five years in federal prison on the gun charge upon conviction. Guillermo has also worked in Central America, Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona and California and his work has appeared in various publications, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, New York Post, Newsday, Denver Post and the Albuquerque Journal. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering operations, and those primarily responsible for the nations illegal drug supply. All he did was blow snot," Moyer said. The bust comes after a similar incident involving the same suspects just weeks ago when deputies found several ounces of narcotics and cash in plain sight at the residence in the 100 block of Trudell Road, according to Sheriff Javier Salazar. Homero Garcia, age 36 of San Antonio; The Bexar County District Attorneys Office also assisted in the investigation. Jonathan Linares Lumbreras aka Coahuila, 30, of San Antonio; Ashley Mendez, 28, and Ruben Zambrano, 38, were taken into custody. All the defendants, excepting Gutierrez, face between 10 years and life in federal prison upon conviction of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Tony Canales, said Torres is innocent but won't come to the U.S. to fight the charges because he's afraid he won't get bond. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Omar Cuellar, 47, of San Antonio. Jose De Jesus Garcia, age 35 of San Antonio; The BCSOs Gang Unit and Organized Crime Unit handled the investigation of the drug bust. The juror agreed with prosecutors that the key piece of evidence was a video locked on his sons cellphone for a year video shot minutes before the killings at the same kennels near where the bodies would be found.

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