Ashley. Over the past two days, federal, state and local authorities arrested all of the defendants with the exception of Brown, Martinez, Jose Garcia, Alvarado, and Bartlett. A 32-year-old San Antonio woman was sentenced to more than eight years in prison after she was found guilty of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine . Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. He's not been charged with a crime, and neither have the Gonzlez Trevio brothers. 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. It didn't take long to convince the other three. Just a few weeks ago, 180 miles from the border, in the quiet San Antonio suburban town of Boerne, Texas, a vehicle carrying nine people two stuffed in the trunk was stopped for a traffic. Zoos in the past were judged by who had the most animals, San Antonio Zoo chief Tim Morrow says. During todays arrests authorities seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine, over 30 pounds of hydroponic marijuana, methamphetamine, three handguns and approximately $235,000. SAN ANTONIO A 32-year-old San Antonio woman was sentenced to more than eight years in prison on Tuesday after she was found guilty of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, according to the United States Attorneys Office for the Western District of Texas. It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. Jesus Manuel DeLuna aka "Chuy," 48, of San Antonio; Erik Jason Pena, 41, of San Antonio; and Omar Cuellar, 47, of San Antonio. 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. Both arrests were in connection with the drug bust, the sheriffs office said. DEA, San Antonio Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Frank Zepeda aka Pancho, 51, of San Antonio Oswaldo Jesus Lopez, age 26 of Laredo; 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. Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. Oscar Jesus Lopez, age 23 of Laredo; Officials said this is the third incident involving a drug bust this week alone, according to the BCSO; however, this incident is separate from the previous two. Each has a prior serious felony drug conviction which enhances their minimum mandatory sentence. Juror Craig Moyer told ABC News that when deliberations began, the jury immediately took a poll that came back with nine guilty votes. And it might not have been you. 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. Despite the tony digs, the raid looked like any other drug case. 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. Updated: 4:52 PM CST January 28, 2022. It was found that there is no evidence to link Mr. Moreira Valdes to any wrongdoing in relation to the debt contracted in the state of Coahuila during his term as governor, the attorney wrote. Jose Tabares, 53, of San Antonio Rubn Moreira, the current governor, told Mexican reporters that Gonzlez Trevio's position was unofficial and unpaid. Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. On an October morning last year, residents in . Ashley Villarreal who was shot and critically wounded on Motes street at S. San Joaquin just a few houses down from her home. Online reports can only be completed for the following crimes where no weapon was used and no suspect information is available. He said fentanyl pills are often made in backyard labs, and often pushed to young people disguised as other drugs. At about 11 a.m., SLO Police. Joel Villarreal aka Gordo, 49, of San Antonio; Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Authorities call it the largest. According to police, during a traffic stop, officers found a loaded syringe containing heroin inside of a vehicle. Further, the indictment charges Pena with an additional one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering operations primarily responsible for the nations illegal drug supply. This indictment and arrests are the result of a joint investigation with our local, state and federal partners to neutralize a dangerous criminal organization in Texas, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Whipple. LOUIS - A man from Texas and a woman from St. Louis were indicted Wednesday on drug conspiracy charges after multiple kilograms of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine were found during a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County. Aug. 2, 2014 Updated: Aug. 4, 2014 11 a.m. Facebook Twitter Email. When Humberto came into power, RCG was tiny, said Jorge Rosales Saade, an official with the opposition PAN party in Coahuila. According to authorities, the team has two simultaneous narcotic search warrants on two residences located near the 200 block of Zaragoza Street. 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. I saw his eyes. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office conducted the drug bust in the 500 block of Porter Street. On Wednesday, a joint task force including the DEA along with the sheriff's office arrested 41-year-old Francisco Ortiz. Over five years, they purchased a dozen houses in San Antonio, selling off a handful and renting out others. It's a very complicated matter that's taking a lot of time, but there are bank records and property records and it's taking a while to sift through all the facts to show he did not do what they claim he did.. ___ Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Along with the San Antonio properties, prosecutors have filed lawsuits to take control of real estate in the Rio Grande Valley and millions of dollars in bank accounts in Texas and Bermuda. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Jason Buch is a freelance journalist based in Texas. 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. 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. That's why Sorianello had a strong message to parents: pay attention to your kids. 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. Rosalinda Flores, 54, of San Antonio; Jacqueline Alvarez, 57, of San Antonio Initially, they claimed in court documents that the money in the Texas banks and the funds used to buy the San Antonio properties came from fraudulent loans Villarreal took out on Coahuila's credit. Find more AP coverage of the case: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-murdaugh. Now he's found a new voice in recovery. Juan Carlos Robles, age 35 of San Antonio; SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) A big drug bust on San Antonio's North side. 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. A major drug bust occurred in Eastland County. San Luis Obispo detectives on Thursday arrested a man on drug charges and seized more than $1 million worth of narcotics from a single home, according to police. According to Eastland County Today, Tuesday at 1:30 am - Eastland County Deputy Sheriff Colby Jackson made a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle on Interstate 20. They say those millions were looted from the Coahuila government and flooded Texas starting in 2007, during the term of former Gov. Sheriff's deputies there said they stopped Villarreal, his wife and brother-in-law Oswaldo Coronado traveling with $67,000. Tuesday, June 22nd 2021. Salazar said the three suspects face charges of human smuggling, engaging in organized crime . But I am innocent. Salazar said Moreira deserves more scrutiny because the state's debt and the allegations of theft happened on his watch. Also among the defendants is Joe Angel Villarreal, 55. Roberto Casimiro Gonzlez Trevio's properties are nominally owned by a complex structure of companies. And there's a correlation between that and the approximately 93,000 overdose deaths in the country," said Dante Sorianello, DEA Special Agent. 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. The Bexar County District Attorneys Office also assisted in the investigation. The BCSOs Gang Unit and Organized Crime Unit handled the investigation of the drug bust. 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.. Murdaugh's brother and surviving son sat behind him in the courtroom every day. The situation is politically fraught. Jesus Rodriguez aka Don Chuy, 62, of Rio Grande City; Jason Gutierrez aka Big Mac, 37, of San Antonio The DEA said her father may have used her as a decoy. The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired in 2020 to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Lus Claudio Estrada aka Luz, 42, of La Joya; Coordinated effort by law enforcement leads to major drug bust in Uvalde (SBG San Antonio) 0. Coahuila prosecutors in October 2011 charged Villarreal with falsifying documents to take out millions of dollars in loans on the state's credit. Joe Angel Villarreal aka Compadre, 55, of San Antonio Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar says a drug operation at the home in the 100 block of Trudell was first broken up a few weeks ago when Deputies were delivering a warrant. Example video title will go here for this video. Murdaugh didnt look at the sign as he was hustled into the courthouse with his head down. Frank Anthony Hernandez aka Pancho, 36, of San Antonio; During this investigation, authorities seized approximately 24 kilograms of methamphetamine, six kilograms of heroin, three kilograms of cocaine, four firearms and approximately $100,000 along with other assets attributable to this organization. SAN ANTONIO Six people are in custody following a drug bust in east Bexar County earlier this week, according to the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. 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. The former lawmaker didn't respond to phone calls seeking comment, but at the time lawyers said Bonilla became friends with Flores after selling his house to the businessman and was there to show support. Deputies and Drug Enforcement Administration agents discovered the lab Thursday night after the arrest of 39-year-old Jose . After sentencing, Murdaugh returned to the Colleton County jail to gather his possessions and will be taken to an evaluation center in Columbia for medical, mental health and education testing. Since that incident, Salazar said deputies were notified the drug operation was back up and running, which led to the BCSO setting up surveillance near the residence Thursday morning. Moreira's attorneys wouldn't comment for this report, but after Forbes magazine included him on a list of Mexican politicians accused of corruption, Mexico City lawyer Christian F. Zinser Cieslik wrote to the publication, saying the former governor had been exonerated in an investigation by the Mexican attorney general's office. The head of south central Texas DEA shares new insight on the. Today, it has large office buildings in Saltillo and hangars at the city airport. 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. Jesus Gerardo Vasquez, age 19 of San Antonio; It also alleges that from June 2019 until April 7, 2021, Oscar Oviedo, Vasquez, Justin Guerrero, Moreno and Palafos conspired to distribute cocaine, and that Chavarria, Homero Garcia, Oswaldo Lopez and Oscar Lopez conspired to distribute heroin. SAN ANTONIO A massive drug bust took place at a northwest side hotel where 75,000 fentanyl pills were seized, the Bexar County Sherriff's Office said. Javier Garcia Lopez, age 29 of San Antonio; Lastiri worked as a driver for a Drug Trafficking Organization and put her childrens lives at risk by bringing them on this job, said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. And the apparent tears Murdaugh cried throughout the trial, even on the witness stand? POSS W/I DEL CS PG1 4G - 200G Felony, 1st Degree Bond: $30,000.00, POSS W/I DEL CS PG1 OVER 400G Felony, 1st Degree Bond: $60,000.00, POSS CS PG 1 1 GRAM TO 4 GRAM Felony, 3rd Degree Bond: $50,000.00, POSS CS PG 1 4 GRAMS TO 200 G Felony, 2nd Degree Bond: $15,000.00, POSS CS PG 1 1 GRAM TO 4 GRAM Felony, 3rd Degree Bond: $10,000.00, POSS CS PG 1 4 GRAMS TO 200 GRAMS Felony, 2nd Degree Bond: $15,000.00, PAROLE VIOLATION Felony, 3rd Degree Bond: RWOB, POSS CS PG 3 LESS THAN 28 GRAM Misdemeanor, Class A Bond: 3500.00. Martinez, Robles, and Jose Garcia face between 15 years and life upon conviction of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Also charged are Francisco Garza, 52; Frank Zepeda, 51; Jose Tabares, 53; Matthew Villa, 51; Michelle Zamarripa, 59; Rodger Rocky Hernandez, 43; Jay Haggard, 34; Oscar Heredia, 37; Jason Big Mac Gutierrez, 37; and Jacob Sanchez, 21. At sentencing, Murdaugh maintained his innocence, just as he did when he testified in his own defense during the six-week trial. It was during this search that deputies said they arrested Jose Ovalle, 66, who had an active warrant for a charge of possession of a controlled substance, and Francisco Menchaca, 45, who had 2 kilograms of meth and 138 grams of cocaine, according to the sheriffs office. Moyer said he didn't buy them. A similar lawsuit is seeking to forfeit for $2.3 million Villarreal has in another Bermuda bank. BEXAR COUNTY (KTSA News) Six people were arrested in a drug bust at a southeast San Antonio home the Bexar County sheriff said has connections to a white supremacist group. The lawsuits sought millions of dollars in bank accounts in Texas and Bermuda as well as the commercial strip center on U.S. 281, the pharmacy on Stone Oak Parkway, a storage center on Loop 1604, a condo on South Padre Island and most of a commercial block in Brownsville that prosecutors said was purchased with money stolen from Coahuila's treasury. Moreira, the former leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, is close to Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto. The now-disbarred attorney admitted stealing millions of dollars from the family firm and clients, saying he needed the money to fund his drug habit. SAN ANTONIO - Six people are in custody, two of which are being held in a federal facility, following a drug bust on the North Side, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Homero Garcia, age 36 of San Antonio; SAN ANTONIO - Six people are in custody following a drug bust in east Bexar County earlier this week, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Among the businessmen was a scowling Coronado, Villarreal's brother-in-law who was detained in East Texas, and Francisco Xavier Flores Valdez, a nephew of the Moreira brothers. If he gets extradited we will (fight the criminal case), but right now he has not been extradited, so he's still in Mexico, Canales said. Ojeda faces between 10 years and life in federal prison and Pena faces between five and 40 years in federal prison on the drug possession charge. Moyado and Cardenas were booked into the Karnes federal holding facility for possession with intent to distribute five kilos of heroin or more and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of methamphetamine or more, according to the BCSO.