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. A federal grand jury in Corpus Christi in November charged Villarreal and Torres with money laundering and fraud. 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. "No tears. Murdaugh's family founded the areas most powerful law firm a century ago in neighboring Hampton County. At sentencing, Murdaugh maintained his innocence, just as he did when he testified in his own defense during the six-week trial. 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. Albelardo Oviedo, age 29 of San Antonio. Joshua Hamilton, 30, was arrested on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. Plus, Rooftop Cinema extends screenings until September. Lastiri was sentenced to a total of 100 months in federal prison. Oscar Heredia, 37, of San Antonio These family members assisted Villarreal by, among other things, opening bank accounts at U.S. banks, establishing business entities and purchasing real estate in the names of these business entities.. Good Morning San Antonio. The government's investigation shouldn't stop with the drug gangs, the former governor told the Saltillo newspaper Vanguardia. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. The sheriffs office said most of the suspects that were arrested are documented gang members.. That's what we're doing, he said. The DEA will continue to relentlessly pursue any individual or organization that threatens the well-being and stability of our communities.. 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. 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. DRUG BUSTThe Castle Hills Police Department confiscated 6.5 grams of Fentanyl and over four grams of Heroin during a traffic stop overnight. Oscar Jesus Lopez, age 23 of Laredo; UPDATE: Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar says they found $29 million worth of methamphetamine, in addition to $400,000 worth of black tar heroin in a conversion lab in the Northeast Side. Some of the money came from inflated contracts, said First Assistant District Attorney Cliff Herberg. In 2008, Humberto Moreira named Gonzlez Trevio the state of Coahuila's spokesman in San Antonio, but it's unclear what duties he performed. 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. 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. 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. Sorianello said he couldn't divulge how they were able to track down the suspected drug dealer or if additional arrests are pending. Joel Villarreal aka Gordo, 49, of San Antonio; Erik Jason Pena, 41, of San Antonio; and At about 11 a.m., SLO Police. It happened Friday in Atascosa County where the. Hernandez, Haggard and Heredia were already in custody. Zoos in the past were judged by who had the most animals, San Antonio Zoo chief Tim Morrow says. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. Jose Artemio Acevedo Jr. aka Chapparo, 49, of Rio Grande City; 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. By the time federal prosecutors charged Torres and Villarreal, Bexar County prosecutors finally had started moving their civil lawsuit forward. They often used a network of limited liability companies that made it difficult for investigators to track the ownership of those assets. Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. He's facing a federal charge of possession with an intent to distribute over 500 grams of a controlled substance, according to Salazar. They are either identified as being investors in some of these corporations, or persons with knowledge of some of the transactions, Herberg said. Joseph Richard Guerrero, age 28 of San Antonio; Further back, in the 1800s, Coahuila y Tejas was one state under Mexican rule. Timeline: An interactive look at Coahuila's debt and the ensuing investigation in San Antonio. Guillermo Moyado, 38, and Joaquin Cardenas, 39, were arrested during the traffic stop after deputies seized five kilos of black tar heroin and five kilos of methamphetamine from their vehicle, according to the BCSO. 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. The head of south central Texas DEA shares new insight on the. Ojeda was already in custody, and Flores has yet to be arrested. Over five years, they purchased a dozen houses in San Antonio, selling off a handful and renting out others. Also among the defendants is Joe Angel Villarreal, 55. Defense attorneys said they will appeal, based largely on the judge allowing the evidence of crimes that Murdaugh has not been convicted of, which they say smeared his reputation. Moreira, the former leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, is close to Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto. 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. Drug Bust November 25, 2022 8:35 am . Our position on behalf of Mr. Villarreal is to establish the facts and show that he is not guilty. He did say this is part of a larger drug operation and the investigation is on-going. The indictment accuses the defendants of conspiring to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in the Midwestern and Southern U.S. During a year-long investigation culminating in coordinated raids this week, law enforcement officers led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration seized 23 kilos of cocaine, more than 30 pounds of hydroponic marijuana, 100 kilos of methamphetamine, along with firearms and $359,000 in cash. Thanks to the excellent work of the DEA and our other law enforcement partners, our community is safer today, stated U.S. Attorney Sofer. 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. 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. His high-powered attorney, J.A. In a month or so, he will move to a maximum security state prison like all new inmates serving life sentences. OCDETF Lead Task Force Attorney Adrin Rosales is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. Jury takes an hour to reach verdict over deal at Port S.A. 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 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Intellectuals and landholders from the state, which borders Texas, took refuge here during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900s. According to authorities, the team has two simultaneous narcotic search warrants on two residences located near the 200 block of Zaragoza Street. Fridays hearing again took place in a packed courtroom. When Humberto came into power, RCG was tiny, said Jorge Rosales Saade, an official with the opposition PAN party in Coahuila. It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. If convicted of the latest conspiracy charges, Villarreal and the others each face 10 years to life in federal prison. 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. Former Texas State Rep. Poncho Nevrez at AudioRec Productions, a recording studio in Piedras Negras, Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. His lawyer, Roy Barrera Jr., said Flores wasn't involved in public corruption or organized crime. 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. Tuesday, June 22nd 2021. 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. Then, starting in 2006, he and his brother, Roberto Casimiro Gonzlez Trevio, went on a spending spree. Rosalinda Flores, 54, of San Antonio; 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. Four others were arrested after deputies returned to the residence with a search warrant and found two more kilos of heroin. Javier Armando Casas, 40, of Pharr; 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. The DEA, U.S. Coahuila corruption and drug ties spread influence to San Antonio, Privately run zoos in Texas adapt to new roles. Jacqueline Alvarez, 57, of San Antonio If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Online reports can only be completed for the following crimes where no weapon was used and no suspect information is available. 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. Jesus Manuel DeLuna aka "Chuy," 48, of San Antonio; Erik Jason Pena, 41, of San Antonio; and Omar Cuellar, 47, of San Antonio. Now, said Herberg, the No. 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. They say those millions were looted from the Coahuila government and flooded Texas starting in 2007, during the term of former Gov. 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. 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. U.S. authorities were ramping up their investigation after Gonzalez's arrest on drug charges. UVALDE Texas - A major drug bust has happened Tuesday morning in Uvalde . Flores has since pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy charge and agreed to give up millions of dollars in Texas bank accounts, a Learjet and his home in The Dominion. 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. 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. Updated: 10:32 PM CST February 27, 2021 PLEASANTON, Texas An eight-month crackdown operation on drugs has landed dozens of people in jail. 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. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois. The lawyer he initially hired to defend him said the family isn't involved in any crimes. San Antonio woman among 14 charged with conspiracy to distribute meth and cocaine, Privately run zoos in Texas adapt to new roles. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Also on the list were Villarreal, the former treasurer; Torres, the former interim governor; and Flores, the businessman who pleaded guilty in Corpus Christi. It alleges that he laundered in San Antonio the proceeds of bribes, theft, embezzlement and drug distribution, another indication that the U.S. is investigating whether there's a connection between the alleged raiding of Coahuila's state coffers and the Zetas, a gang started by former Mexican special forces soldiers to be the Gulf Cartel's paramilitary arm. All he did was blow snot," Moyer said. This is a carousel. Humberto Moreira. Jonathan Linares Lumbreras aka Coahuila, 30, of San Antonio; 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.