On one occasion, he said, a state contract went to a mineral extraction company controlled by the Zetas drug gang, former en- forcers for another cartel who spun off into their own criminal organization. Zoos in the past were judged by who had the most animals, San Antonio Zoo chief Tim Morrow says. In interviews after his son's killing, Moreira placed blame on narcoempresarios, businessmen with ties to the cartels who allowed the gangs to act with impunity. Former Texas State Rep. Poncho Nevrez at AudioRec Productions, a recording studio in Piedras Negras, Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. 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. The drug bust led deputies to search another residence in the 100 block of Seashell Place in west San Antonio. 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. A locked padlock Find more AP coverage of the case: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-murdaugh. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. San Diego Border Patrol seizes massive quantity of deadly, powerful Torres remains a fugitive in Mexico. Sheriff's deputies there said they stopped Villarreal, his wife and brother-in-law Oswaldo Coronado traveling with $67,000. 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. 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. 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. 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. In total, officials found seven kilos of heroin and 1.5 kilos of meth, according to the BCSO. 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. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois. Timeline: An interactive look at Coahuila's debt and the ensuing investigation in San Antonio. Jury takes an hour to reach verdict over deal at Port S.A. 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. Instructions. He's not been charged with a crime, and neither have the Gonzlez Trevio brothers. Salazar said the street value of the seized drugs is over $1.2 million. DRUG BUST: The Crystal City Police Department Special Response Team recovered and seized numerous amounts of drugs Wednesday. Over five years, they purchased a dozen houses in San Antonio, selling off a handful and renting out others. Nicolas Rodriguez, age 39 of San Antonio; A major drug bust occurred in Eastland County. Updated: 11:05 PM CST November 13, 2020 SAN ANTONIO Nearly $30 million worth of drugs are seized from a Bexar County home. Some sit empty today. 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. This is a carousel. 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. Bexar County prosecutors say the treasurer, Hctor Javier Villarreal Hernndez, wired millions of dollars to Texas that he received from kickbacks. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. The nighttime stakeout targeted her father. All other crimes require an officer to make the scene. And that was the reason they offered it, Griffin said. An official website of the United States government. Aug. 2, 2014 Updated: Aug. 4, 2014 11 a.m. Facebook Twitter Email. "No tears. 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.. 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. During todays arrests authorities seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine, over 30 pounds of hydroponic marijuana, methamphetamine, three handguns and approximately $235,000. According to Sorianello, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, over 50 times greater or stronger than heroine. In a month or so, he will move to a maximum security state prison like all new inmates serving life sentences. Heather Freitag, 27, was arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. Rubn Moreira, the current governor, told Mexican reporters that Gonzlez Trevio's position was unofficial and unpaid. 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. As the investigation continued, several others were also arrested. Martinez, Robles, and Jose Garcia face between 15 years and life upon conviction of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The DEA, U.S. According to police, during a traffic stop, officers found a loaded syringe containing heroin inside of a vehicle. 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.. 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. BCSO AND DEA TAG UNIT DRUG BUST San Antonio woman among 14 charged with conspiracy to distribute meth Jesse Martinez, age 41 of San Antonio; The specific mission of the Houston/South Texas OCDETF Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle the drug trafficking organizations headed by designated Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs), Regional Priority Organization Targets (RPOTs), and their affiliates that impact Houston and south Texas. By then, Villarreal disappeared. 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. And there's a correlation between that and the approximately 93,000 overdose deaths in the country," said Dante Sorianello, DEA Special Agent. 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. SAN ANTONIO - A man and a woman were arrested after deputies busted a drug distribution operation in West Bexar County on Friday, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Ojeda was already in custody, and Flores has yet to be arrested. Last June, federal authorities were conducting surveillance on Moshe using a GPS signal from his phone in connection with the LSD investigation when he unwittingly led them to an illegal. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 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. . The Bexar County District Attorneys Office also assisted in the investigation. 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. The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired since January 2020 to distribute cocaine. The gang, he said, was responsible for a wave of violence that killed tens of thousand in Mexico, many in Coahuila. 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. Francisco Manuel Mata-Martinez, 41, of El Paso, was indicted. Nowadays, its habitats, conservation and education. 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. Pictured is (left to right): Jeanette Gloria, 38; Crystal Coronado, 34; Kenneth Peterson, 28; Josh Delgado, 38. Deputies detained her and found 5 THC vape pens on the front seat, authorities said. Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our citizens. 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. In addition to Moyado and Cardenas, the following suspects were arrested: Crystal Coronado, 34, is facing the following charges: Jeanette Gloria, 38, is facing the following charges: Jose Delgado, 38, is facing the following charges: Kenneth Peterson, 28, is facing the following charges: The street value of the drugs that were found in the residence is well over $700,000, according to Salazar. 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. They are either identified as being investors in some of these corporations, or persons with knowledge of some of the transactions, Herberg said. 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 Brian Victorino Chavarria, age 24 of San Antonio; Zambrano was arrested in the kitchen without incident. Jury takes an hour to reach verdict over deal at Port S.A. All are from San Antonio. Deputies detained Ashley Mendez, 28, and Ruben Zambrano, 38, in a West Bexar County drug bust. The multiagency taskforce handling the case includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas attorney general's office and the Internal Revenue Service. The Schertz Police Department stated in a social . 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. 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. Drug Bust November 25, 2022 8:35 am . Deputies searched a home Tuesday in the. The suspects were arrested for drug possession. Now, said Herberg, the No. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. 25 in custody after multi-agency drug bust in San Antonio area 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. 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. DEA, San Antonio Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. 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. All the remaining defendants face between 10 years to life in federal prison upon conviction. 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. ___ Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. A federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges the following defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance: Matthew Noe Arteaga, age 35 of San Antonio; All rights reserved. Torres and Villarreal were the closest persons to Moreira, Salazar said. Example video title will go here for this video. 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. Jay Haggard, 34, of San Antonio Further, the indictment charges Pena with an additional one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Jose Artemio Acevedo Jr. aka Chapparo, 49, of Rio Grande City; When there's two or three or four or five layers of individuals, that's called layering of ownership, he said. Please dial 911 for emergencies or 210.207.7273 for non-emergencies. It didn't take long to convince the other three. 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. 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 DEA, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Texas Department of Public Safety, San Antonio Police Department, New Braunfels Police Department, University of Texas San Antonio Police Department, Gonzales Police Department, Comal County Sheriffs Office and the Guadalupe County Sheriffs Office conducted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation called Operation Brujas Blunder. 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. 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. Joe Angel Villarreal later was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for leading a large cocaine-trafficking group. Murdaugh's family founded the areas most powerful law firm a century ago in neighboring Hampton County. It is my understanding that the Gonzalez family has contributed greatly to the economy of San Antonio, his lawyer Carlos Quezada 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. 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. Juror Craig Moyer told ABC News that when deliberations began, the jury immediately took a poll that came back with nine guilty votes. Meanwhile, the U.S. investigation sprawled. Peter Karasev, 35, of San Jose, has been arrested in connection with a San Jose Police Department investigation into suspected explosives-related and illegal drug offenses, authorities said. Matthew Villa, 51, of San Antonio Michael Barron, age 39 of San Antonio; Jason Buch is a freelance journalist based in Texas. The DEA will continue to relentlessly pursue any individual or organization that threatens the well-being and stability of our communities.. Monday February 10, 2003. 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 . The most high-profile arrest of the money laundering investigation has been that of Villarreal, the former state treasurer. 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. Jose Tabares, 53, of San Antonio DETAILS: Drugs, Guns & Cash Seized in Huge Federal Drug Bust in Brady Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. You have to have a federal and state license for that. 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. Online Reports - 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. Now he's found a new voice in recovery. OCDETF Lead Task Force Attorney Adrin Rosales is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. Murdaugh's brother and surviving son sat behind him in the courtroom every day. I was shocked, Ibarra said of her boyfriend's arrest. If convicted of the latest conspiracy charges, Villarreal and the others each face 10 years to life in federal prison. What's known is this: the Gonzlezes control a media empire in Mexico and in recent years extended their influence across the border. The BCSOs Gang Unit and Organized Crime Unit handled the investigation of the drug bust. Then, starting in 2006, he and his brother, Roberto Casimiro Gonzlez Trevio, went on a spending spree. Plus, Rooftop Cinema extends screenings until September. Moreira, the former leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, is close to Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto. He surrendered to state police on Oct. 29, 2011, and was released on bond within hours. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Wynne, Villarreal's attorney who was at the hotel meeting, said he's trying to show the Texas properties were purchased with legitimate funds. Ashley Mendez, 28, and Ruben Zambrano, 38, were taken into custody. Philadelphia drug bust: Feds seize over $1 billion worth of - CBS News By the time federal prosecutors charged Torres and Villarreal, Bexar County prosecutors finally had started moving their civil lawsuit forward. Juan Carlos Robles, age 35 of San Antonio; 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. Lock Sorianello said he couldn't divulge how they were able to track down the suspected drug dealer or if additional arrests are pending. Properties that the feds moved to seize in the case suggested they were looking at something more than a simple dope smuggling investigation. Ben Spicer is a digital journalist who works the early morning shift for KSAT. 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. A good liar. 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. 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. Javier Armando Casas, 40, of Pharr; Lastiri was sentenced to a total of 100 months in federal prison. When Humberto came into power, RCG was tiny, said Jorge Rosales Saade, an official with the opposition PAN party in Coahuila. One victim reportedly paid more than $12,000 to get to the San Antonio area, according to the sheriff. Bexar County drug bust nets $400k worth of heroin, cocaine Haggard faces up to 10 years in federal prison upon conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. 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. Roberto Casimiro Gonzlez Trevio also shows up on the list of people Bexar County prosecutors told a judge they want to ask witnesses about as part of their money laundering investigation, and he once owned the house in Champions Ridge that the feds are trying to seize from his nephew. That's what we're doing, he said. Gonzlez Trevio, the father, bought his first house in San Antonio in the early 1990s. 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. Zambrano and Mendez now face charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a first degree felony, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver over 400 grams, another first degree felony, possession of a controlled substance a third degree felony and possession of marijuana, more than five pounds, also a third degree felony. Over half a million dollars worth of cocaine seized in Texas drug bust Thirteen Indicted for Cocaine Trafficking in San Antonio Area In February, Villarreal slipped across one of the international bridges in El Paso and turned himself in to federal agents. They worked for him. A simple drug bust. SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) $400,000 worth of drugs were found in an east side home today. Records show he was released in July 2019. They are steadfastly in his camp, defense attorney Jim Griffin said after the hearing. The truth is he brought shame upon himself, his family, the community, his profession, Kinsinger said. 'Very quiet neighborhood': Two arrested following drug bust, drugs and Before he was charged with murder, Murdaugh was in jail awaiting trial on about 100 other charges ranging from insurance fraud to tax evasion. The sheriffs office said most of the suspects that were arrested are documented gang members.. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Deputies searched a home Tuesday in the 1200 block of Delmar when they arrested Edward Medrano, 35, for being in possession of 373.3 grams of methamphetamine, according to officials. Man arrested following largest fentanyl seizure in Bexar County Deputies seized four kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of cocaine in the home in addition to multiple firearms, thousands of dollars of cash and expensive clothing. Gonzlez Fernandez's girlfriend, Alejandra Ibarra, who lives at the Champions Ridge house with their 3-year-old daughter, said she doesn't believe he was involved in drug trafficking. Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. 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 . Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. This ex-lawmaker's Texas drug bust was national news. Now he's found a Frank Anthony Hernandez aka Pancho, 36, of San Antonio; 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. They had cast Alex as a despicable human being. Oscar Jesus Lopez, age 23 of Laredo; 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.
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