Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. On an October morning last year, residents in the gated Champions Ridge subdivision watched as federal agents arrested a neighbor with ties to the Coahuila government. Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. In a month or so, he will move to a maximum security state prison like all new inmates serving life sentences.
Three suspects arrested, six victims rescued in human smuggling bust Both arrests were in connection with the drug bust, the sheriffs office 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. Joe Angel Villarreal later was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for leading a large cocaine-trafficking group.
Man arrested following largest fentanyl seizure in Bexar County The bust happened at a Best Western off Loop 410 near Callaghan Road. Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Juan Antonio Estrada aka "Tony," 37, of Ro Grande City Madilyn Marie Alvarado, age 26 of Del Rio Nowadays, its habitats, conservation and education. According to authorities, the team has two simultaneous narcotic search warrants on two residences located near the 200 block of Zaragoza Street. If convicted of the latest conspiracy charges, Villarreal and the others each face 10 years to life in federal prison. He's not been charged with a crime, and neither have the Gonzlez Trevio brothers. 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. The DEA said her father may have used her as a decoy. His lawyer, Roy Barrera Jr., said Flores wasn't involved in public corruption or organized crime. The government is abusing its power, Canales wrote in one filing. BCSO said through the course of executing the search warrant they found a total of 13.4 pounds of marijuana, 2.2 pounds of hash oil, 1.2 ounces of cocaine, 2.9 grams of methamphetamine, a shotgun and $16,757 in cash. He's the one that made all this mess.. Javier Garcia Lopez, age 29 of San Antonio; Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Despite the tony digs, the raid looked like any other drug case. 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. It is our position that it's just a front for money laundering, Herberg said. Moreira, the former leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, is close to Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. 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. Updated: 4:52 PM CST January 28, 2022. SAN ANTONIO The Bexar County Sheriff's Office provided details about a drug bust in east Bexar County. Then, starting in 2006, he and his brother, Roberto Casimiro Gonzlez Trevio, went on a spending spree. Please dial 911 for emergencies or 210.207.7273 for non-emergencies. With Villarreal on the run, the lawsuits languished. 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.
Oakland man charged with distributing thousands of LSD tabs 6 arrested in drug bust on San Antonio's North Side Some of the money came from inflated contracts, said First Assistant District Attorney Cliff Herberg. 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 According to Salazar, deputies found a couple hundred grams of methamphetamine and black tar heroin and $9,000.
Six people arrested in southeast San Antonio drug raid connected to 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. 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. Jesus Manuel DeLuna aka Chuy, 48, of San Antonio; Jay Haggard, 34, of San Antonio The indictment alleges that defendants Arteaga, Rodriguez, Brown, Chavarria, Oscar Oviedo, Joseph Guerrero, Vasquez, Martinez, Justin Guerrero, Gonzalez, Robles, Moreno, Palafos, Barron, Lopez, Jose Garcia, Alvarado, Bartlett, and Albelardo Oviedo conspired from June 2019 until April 7, 2021, to distribute methamphetamine. 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. 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 Sheriffs Office. Further, the indictment charges Pena with an additional one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Heather Freitag, 27, was arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. 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. We look forward to taking a good hard look at the governments evidence.. Homero Garcia, age 36 of San Antonio; 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. Upon searching the vehicle, deputies found 1.2 pounds of marijuana and 47 additional vape pens in the trunk. The BCSOs Gang Unit and Organized Crime Unit handled the investigation of the drug bust. Among those charged in South Texas are the interim governor who served after Moreira, several business owners with homes on San Antonio's North Side, and a former state treasurer who's wanted in Mexico on allegations of taking out fraudulent loans on the state's credit. 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. "They take a pill which seems very simple, never done that in their life, and they simply dont wake up.". The jury deliberated for less than three hours Thursday before finding Murdaugh guilty of killing his 22-year-old son with two shotgun blasts and his 52-year-old wife with four or five rifle shots. Over five years, they purchased a dozen houses in San Antonio, selling off a handful and renting out others.
Also on the list were Villarreal, the former treasurer; Torres, the former interim governor; and Flores, the businessman who pleaded guilty in Corpus Christi. Thanks to the excellent work of the DEA and our other law enforcement partners, our community is safer today, stated U.S. Attorney Sofer. Murdaugh's brother and surviving son sat behind him in the courtroom every day. Border Patrol agents based in the San Diego Sector seized 232 pounds of fentanyl with a street value of about $3 million from a single vehicle, officials announced on Monday.. Yesterday, federal, state and local authorities arrested nine defendants. 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. Those five defendants were already in custody. When Humberto came into power, RCG was tiny, said Jorge Rosales Saade, an official with the opposition PAN party in Coahuila. Roberto Casimiro Gonzlez Trevio's properties are nominally owned by a complex structure of companies. DRUG BUSTThe Castle Hills Police Department confiscated 6.5 grams of Fentanyl and over four grams of Heroin during a traffic stop overnight. 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. Bryan Anthony Brown, age 33 of San Antonio; Former Texas State Rep. Poncho Nevrez at AudioRec Productions, a recording studio in Piedras Negras, Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022.
Coordinated effort by law enforcement leads to major drug bust in First, the government filed a civil complaint and, when (Torres) contested this civil forfeiture by filing a motion to dismiss, then the government brought an indictment over the same subject matter all with the purpose of obstructing the ability to defend oneself against a groundless forfeiture.. Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. Prosecutor Creighton Waters noted that stare each day in court. 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. Consequently, they are also responsible for the death of my son and the 80,000 or 100,000 you see the numbers aren't what they're thought to be, as much as 150,000 ultimately dead from this war.. The voices of all three Murdaughs can be heard on the video, though Alex Murdaugh had insisted for 20 months that he hadn't been at the kennels that night. And that is why we want to ask questions as far as their involvement or knowledge.. Lus Claudio Estrada aka Luz, 42, of La Joya; And it might not have been you. 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. Drug Bust November 25, 2022 8:35 am . And there's a correlation between that and the approximately 93,000 overdose deaths in the country," said Dante Sorianello, DEA Special Agent. Roberto Casimiro Gonzlez Trevio signed the deed of sale for the property and he's listed as the trust's sole managing member, but his name does not appear on public records filed by the LLCs. Rosalinda Flores, 54, of San Antonio; The street value for the drugs is estimated at $145,890. They say those millions were looted from the Coahuila government and flooded Texas starting in 2007, during the term of former Gov. Deputies searched a home Tuesday in the. The sheriffs office said most of the suspects that were arrested are documented gang members.. During this investigation, authorities have seized approximately 25 kilograms of cocaine, 35 firearms, two silencers, a grenade, body armor and approximately $265,000 in U.S. Currency along with other assets attributable to this organization. Nicolas Rodriguez, age 39 of San Antonio; 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 . 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. That fact is evident from the number of firearms recovered in this investigation - not to mention the silencers, grenade and body armor. 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. 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. Multiple agencies conducted an arrest operation Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021 which resulted in fifteen indictments being served and the arrest of seven suspects. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, METRO -- The father of Ashley Villarreal is led out of the Judge John H. Wood Federal Courthouse.
Thirteen Indicted for Cocaine Trafficking in San Antonio Area Last year, Raul Gonzlez Trevio bought a one-acre piece of commercial property on U.S. 281 near TPC Parkway.
Twenty-Two Indicted for Drug Trafficking in San Antonio Area When one defendant was brought to court in San Antonio, a former U.S. congressman showed up to support him. Map: See the San Antonio ties of Coahuilan politicians and businessmen, some of whom prosecutors say laundered millions of dollars in South Texas. A locked padlock
Online Reports - San Antonio The most high-profile arrest of the money laundering investigation has been that of Villarreal, the former state treasurer. Later in the year, attention focused on Coahuila's former interim governor.
San Luis Obispo police officers seize more than $1 million in drugs 'Drugs in every nook and cranny' | Two arrested after BCSO finds - KENS 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. The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired since January 2020 to distribute cocaine. Aug. 2, 2014 Updated: Aug. 4, 2014 11 a.m. Facebook Twitter Email. At about 11 a.m., SLO Police. Four others were arrested after deputies returned to the residence with a search warrant and found two more kilos of heroin. 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. Another $8,500 in cash was found at the home as well, according to officials. He did say this is part of a larger drug operation and the investigation is on-going. SAN ANTONIO (WOAI) More than $500,000 worth of cocaine was seized following the successful completion of a multi-agency operation in Texas. An official website of the United States government. Its disgraceful.. Villarreal fraudulently acquired Mexican pesos totaling over $35 million in U.S. dollars and funneled the monies into United States bank accounts, federal prosecutors in Corpus Christi wrote in a court filing. Prosecutors didnt have the weapons used to kill the Murdaughs or other direct evidence like confessions or blood spatter. Jonathan Linares Lumbreras aka Coahuila, 30, of San Antonio; Through more than 75 witnesses and nearly 800 pieces of evidence, jurors heard about betrayed friends and clients, Murdaughs failed attempt to stage his own death in an insurance fraud scheme, a fatal boat crash in which his son was implicated, the housekeeper who died in a fall in the Murdaugh home and the grisly scene of the killings. All other crimes require an officer to make the scene. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This is a carousel. All are from San Antonio. Ashley Mendez, 28, and Ruben Zambrano, 38, were taken into custody. Ivan Herrera has worked as a journalist in San Antonio since 2016. Jason Buch, Guillermo Contreras, San Antonio Express-News. 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. He wouldn't say more in an interview, but in court Canales called the indictment a sham and accused prosecutors of using it to retaliate against Torres for fighting the civil suit. In another court filing, the feds wrote that Flores' case is somehow tied to their investigation of money allegedly stolen from the Coahuila government and laundered in Texas. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. All he had was Cablevision, but they made him a multimillionaire with enormous power. But then they got word it had started again.
Tag: Drug Bust - NBC 7 San Diego 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. Prior to today, authorities seized approximately 21 kilograms of cocaine, 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, a firearm and approximately $124,000 along with other assets attributable to this organization.
Each has a prior serious felony drug conviction which enhances their minimum mandatory sentence. Sorianello said he couldn't divulge how they were able to track down the suspected drug dealer or if additional arrests are pending. Authorities call it the largest. Torres and Villarreal were the closest persons to Moreira, Salazar said. Fridays hearing again took place in a packed courtroom. "No tears. Updated: 11:05 PM CST November 13, 2020 SAN ANTONIO Nearly $30 million worth of drugs are seized from a Bexar County home. Alvarez does not work for GEOs separate Karnes County Detention Center, where some federal inmates are held before trial, said her lawyer, Joey Contreras. 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. Twenty-Two Indicted for Drug Trafficking in San Antonio Area Drug Enforcement Administration Daniel C. Comeaux Special Agent in Charge Houston @DEAHoustonDiv April 15, 2021 Contact: Sally M. Sparks Phone Number: (713) 693-3329 For Immediate Release Twenty-Two Indicted for Drug Trafficking in San Antonio Area Coronado and Flores Valdez, the Moreiras' nephew, were in San Antonio responding to a request by Bexar County to depose representatives of the LLCs that Villarreal's family members manage. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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. Albelardo Oviedo, age 29 of San Antonio. According to the Bexar County Sheriffs Office, deputies on Friday executed a search warrant at a home in the 6900 block of Martinique Drive, not far from Highway 90 and Military Drive.
Coahuila corruption and drug ties spread influence to San Antonio San Diego Border Patrol seizes massive quantity of deadly, powerful A locked padlock The family has plenty of money from recent sales of Mexican media holdings, Ibarra said, and her boyfriend had income from running restaurants in Torren, Coahuila, and San Antonio. That's it. Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. 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. Rene Palafos, age 37 of San Antonio;
Drug Bust in Eastland County - Fentanyl and Meth Confiscated The arrestsin San Antonio conclude a comprehensive investigation by DEA, along with our law enforcement partners, into the criminal activities of a drug trafficking organization, who were responsible for transporting and distributing methamphetamine and cocaine into our communities, said Daniel C. Comeaux, special agent in charge of the DEA office in Houston. And, San Diego Pride Kicks off today. Zambrano was arrested in the kitchen without incident. 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. She works in the immigration portion of GEO. What's known is this: the Gonzlezes control a media empire in Mexico and in recent years extended their influence across the border.
Wynne, Villarreal's attorney who was at the hotel meeting, said he's trying to show the Texas properties were purchased with legitimate funds. They whisked him to San Antonio, where prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging him with another count of money laundering. 2 at the DA's office, prosecutors believe at least some of the $6.5 million in a JP Morgan Chase and Co. bank account that his office is suing to forfeit came from kickbacks.
35 indicted in two separate Central Texas drug trafficking busts 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. Martinez, Robles, and Jose Garcia face between 15 years and life upon conviction of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He surrendered to state police on Oct. 29, 2011, and was released on bond within hours. San Antonio has strong historic ties to Saltillo, Coahuila's capital. It becomes very difficult to track for any investigator in law enforcement, but it's especially more difficult for financial industry investigators because they're limited, they don't have authority of the government, subpoena power.. The Zetas in particular had spread their control to Coahuila's mining sector, Moreira said. Deputies detained her and found 5 THC vape pens on the front seat, authorities said. 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. Deputies saw the suspects vehicle leaving the home and thats when they conducted a traffic stop near Loop 410 and Ingram Road. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. But I am innocent. The head of south central Texas DEA shares new insight on the. Joel Villarreal aka Gordo, 49, of San Antonio; Cash found at drug bust in West Bexar County. They worked for him. It makes the ownership of properties more difficult for investigators and regulators to trace, however, and also could be used to disguise the source of money in the original purpose. Mark Anthony Ojeda, 33, of San Antonio; During the stop, a search of the vehicle was conducted. Authorities call it the largest fentanyl seizure in Bexar County. 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. Ojeda faces a mandatory five years in federal prison on the gun charge upon conviction.
Twelve Indicted for Drug Trafficking in San Antonio Area 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. 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. Upon further inspection, Marijuana, Methamphetamines, Heroin and Fentanyl along . She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois. Prosecutors in Corpus Christi filed a lawsuit in late September accusing Torres, who owns a house near Houston, of using JP Morgan Chase Bank accounts to transfer millions of dollars from Mexico to Texas, then turning around and sending it offshore. His work for KSAT 12 and KSAT.com includes covering breaking news of the day, as well as producing Q&As and content for the "South Texas Pride" and "KSAT Money" series. The elder Villarreal was arrested in a DEA operation in which his daughter was shot and critically wounded by federal agents. You have to have a federal and state license for that. Here's What's Up in San Diego County for July 9, 2022. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. They refused to identify themselves to reporters or discuss why they were meeting in a conference room with prosecutors, a DEA agent and an investigator with the Texas attorney general's office. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Our ongoing effort to reduce violence and drug trafficking in our communities sends a clear message that members of these violent criminal enterprises will be held accountable for their crimes.. Zoos in the past were judged by who had the most animals, San Antonio Zoo chief Tim Morrow says.