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. All of them were indicted on federal drug. Authorities call it the largest fentanyl seizure in Bexar County. 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. Jason Buch is a freelance journalist based in Texas. Former Texas State Rep. Poncho Nevrez at AudioRec Productions, a recording studio in Piedras Negras, Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. 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.. 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. Lawyers for both men maintain they're innocent. 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. Rene Palafos, age 37 of San Antonio; The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Twelve Indicted for Drug Trafficking in San Antonio Area Press Releases | DEA.gov 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. DEA shares new insight in $30 million meth bust in Bexar Co. home - KENS Coahuila corruption and drug ties spread influence to San Antonio, Privately run zoos in Texas adapt to new roles. 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. 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. Properties that the feds moved to seize in the case suggested they were looking at something more than a simple dope smuggling investigation. He pleaded guilty to operating a money transmitting business without a license, Barrera said. He's not been charged with a crime, and neither have the Gonzlez Trevio brothers. Zambrano was arrested in the kitchen without incident. Thursday, March 18, 2021 Twelve Indicted for Drug Trafficking in San Antonio Area Twelve San Antonio residents face federal drug trafficking charges, announced U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division. In a month or so, he will move to a maximum security state prison like all new inmates serving life sentences. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. 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. An official website of the United States government. 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. The multiagency taskforce handling the case includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas attorney general's office and the Internal Revenue Service. All other crimes require an officer to make the scene. The bust happened at a Best Western off Loop 410 near Callaghan Road. 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. The government's investigation shouldn't stop with the drug gangs, the former governor told the Saltillo newspaper Vanguardia. 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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. Updated: 4:52 PM CST January 28, 2022. Another $8,500 in cash was found at the home as well, according to officials. Joshua Hamilton, 30, was arrested on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. Coahuila corruption and drug ties spread influence to San Antonio He said fentanyl pills are often made in backyard labs, and often pushed to young people disguised as other drugs. They didn't do any mining.. He liked to stare me down as he would walk by me during this trial. Villarreal was involved in facilitating the purchase of the properties, Houston attorney Michael J. Wynne said. 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. Officials seized. San Antonio woman among 14 charged with conspiracy to distribute meth Meanwhile, the U.S. investigation sprawled. That's why Sorianello had a strong message to parents: pay attention to your kids. By then, Villarreal disappeared. 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. 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. 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. Hernandez, Haggard and Heredia were already in custody. BCSO says as deputies were approaching the residence, Mendez was getting in a vehicle to leave. 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 . Coahuila, with its large manufacturing sector and border crossings, is a major trade partner with Texas, and politically connected people from the state who are not under investigation have become close with San Antonio city leaders. Good Morning San Antonio. The bust happened at 523 Porter St. early Friday. What's known is this: the Gonzlezes control a media empire in Mexico and in recent years extended their influence across the border. 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. 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. 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. Ojeda faces a mandatory five years in federal prison on the gun charge upon conviction. 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. 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. It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. 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. 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 lawsuit seeks $2.8 million in an account Torres has in Bermuda. A simple drug bust. Drugs worth millions found in suburban Bexar County meth lab, at - KTSA He surrendered to state police on Oct. 29, 2011, and was released on bond within hours. OCDETF Lead Task Force Attorney Adrin Rosales is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. 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. Copyright 2023 by KSAT - All rights reserved. All of the defendants except Albelardo Oviedo are also charged in substantive counts in the indictment related to specific instances of drug trafficking that occurred throughout the course of the conspiracy. Tag: Drug Bust - NBC 7 San Diego 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. We look forward to taking a good hard look at the governments evidence.. 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. Oscar Heredia, 37, of San Antonio Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. 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.. Texas drug trafficking crackdown lands dozens of people in jail - KENS5.com At about 11 a.m., SLO Police. Instructions. Four others were arrested after deputies returned to the residence with a search warrant and found two more kilos of heroin. Now he's found a new voice in recovery. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Bexar County Deputies arrest 3 people in a drug bust on San Antonio's Those five defendants were already in custody. The girl was shot when she drove her fathers car out of their house at San Joaquin and Motes streets. And, San Diego Pride Kicks off today. Marshals Service, Bexar County Sheriffs Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and Kendall County Sheriffs Office conducted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation called Operation Dirty Confidential. Timeline: An interactive look at Coahuila's debt and the ensuing investigation in San Antonio. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. In total, officials found seven kilos of heroin and 1.5 kilos of meth, according to the BCSO. 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. Man arrested following largest fentanyl seizure in Bexar County They say those millions were looted from the Coahuila government and flooded Texas starting in 2007, during the term of former Gov. A federal grand jury indictment returned in San Antonio charges the following defendants with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine: 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. 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. Can't take statins? New pill cuts cholesterol, heart attacks She traveled from Houston to San Antonio with two children in her vehicle. Nicolas Rodriguez, age 39 of San Antonio; Three suspects arrested, six victims rescued in human smuggling bust 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. The GEO Group built the facility and manages it under contract with Karnes County and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 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. The DEA will continue to relentlessly pursue any individual or organization that threatens the well-being and stability of our communities.. I was shocked, Ibarra said of her boyfriend's arrest. San Diego Border Patrol seizes massive quantity of deadly, powerful Ashley Mendez, 28, and Ruben Zambrano, 38, were taken into custody. Gutierrez faces between five and 40 years upon conviction. Please dial 911 for emergencies or 210.207.7273 for non-emergencies. Jacqueline Alvarez, 57, of San Antonio He quickly left Mexico for the U.S. and showed up in East Texas in February 2012 where he was again arrested. 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. 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. Javier Armando Casas, 40, of Pharr; 25 people arrested after massive drug bust in San Antonio area - KSAT Nevrez hit a . I think he's not guilty, so I was shocked.. 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. 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. 6 arrested in east Bexar County drug bust, sheriff's - ksat.com "While we are certainly celebrating this case for obvious reasons, we're also quite alarmed by the fact that this drug is present in these quantities in this area, not something that that surprises us, but it's still troubling nonetheless," said Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( All the remaining defendants face between 10 years to life in federal prison upon conviction. According to Salazar, deputies found a couple hundred grams of methamphetamine and black tar heroin and $9,000. Jose Tabares, 53, of San Antonio Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our citizens. UVALDE Texas - A major drug bust has happened Tuesday morning in Uvalde . 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. Jason Buch, Guillermo Contreras, San Antonio Express-News. 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. Frank Zepeda aka Pancho, 51, of San Antonio Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Juan Antonio Estrada aka "Tony," 37, of Ro Grande City 'Drugs in every nook and cranny' | Two arrested after BCSO finds - KENS Salazar said the three suspects face charges of human smuggling, engaging in organized crime . Flores had made powerful friends in the U.S., among them lobbyist and former Congressman Henry Bonilla, who showed up at his initial court appearance in San Antonio. 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. 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. Both arrests were in connection with the drug bust, the sheriffs office said. Also among the defendants is Joe Angel Villarreal, 55. Philadelphia drug bust: Feds seize over $1 billion worth of - CBS News This is a carousel. He's facing a federal charge of possession with an intent to distribute over 500 grams of a controlled substance, according to Salazar. On Tuesday, federal, state and local authorities arrested all of the defendants with the exception of Lumbreras, Ojeda and Flores. 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. Nowadays, its habitats, conservation and education. 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: The Crystal City Police Department Special Response Team recovered and seized numerous amounts of drugs Wednesday. Records show he was released in July 2019. Jury takes an hour to reach verdict over deal at Port S.A. 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. The Zetas in particular had spread their control to Coahuila's mining sector, Moreira said. 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. Deputies detained Ashley Mendez, 28, and Ruben Zambrano, 38, in a West Bexar County drug bust. They worked for him. 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. Sorianello said he couldn't divulge how they were able to track down the suspected drug dealer or if additional arrests are pending. Six people are in custody following a drug bust in east Bexar County earlier this week, according to the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. 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. 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. Intellectuals and landholders from the state, which borders Texas, took refuge here during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900s. 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. 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.. Coordinated effort by law enforcement leads to major drug bust in Here's What's Up in San Diego County for July 9, 2022. The female driver was identified as Shauna Madrid, 36, from Roswell, New Mexico. In December, six Coahuila businessmen gathered at the Hotel Contessa in downtown San Antonio. Some of the money came from inflated contracts, said First Assistant District Attorney Cliff Herberg. Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. Jury takes an hour to reach verdict over deal at Port S.A. Pictured is (left to right): Jeanette Gloria, 38; Crystal Coronado, 34; Kenneth Peterson, 28; Josh Delgado, 38. (Robert McLeroy/Staff). Bexar County prosecutors say the treasurer, Hctor Javier Villarreal Hernndez, wired millions of dollars to Texas that he received from kickbacks.
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