Deputies detained her and found 5 THC vape pens on the front seat, authorities said. It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. 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. Juan Carlos Robles, age 35 of San Antonio; The KSAT 12 News Team provides a look at local, regional, statewide and national news events and the latest information on local traffic and weather issues. They are steadfastly in his camp, defense attorney Jim Griffin said after the hearing. His saga began in mid-2011, when news broke of Coahuila's massive debt. Drug dealing and violence go hand in hand. SAN ANTONIO - Two people have been arrested following a big drug bust in a quiet neighborhood over on the East Side of the city. 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. A federal grand jury in Corpus Christi in November charged Villarreal and Torres with money laundering and fraud. Ashley Mendez, 28, and Ruben Zambrano, 38, were taken into custody. Juan Antonio Estrada aka "Tony," 37, of Ro Grande City Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. 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. The bust happened at 523 Porter St. early Friday. 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. 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. On Wednesday, a joint task force including the DEA along with the sheriff's office arrested 41-year-old Francisco Ortiz. 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. Deputies and Drug Enforcement Administration agents discovered the lab Thursday night after the arrest of 39-year-old Jose . Torres remains a fugitive in Mexico. Coahuila prosecutors in October 2011 charged Villarreal with falsifying documents to take out millions of dollars in loans on the state's credit. 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. According to authorities, the team has two simultaneous narcotic search warrants on two residences located near the 200 block of Zaragoza Street. Joe Angel Villarreal later was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for leading a large cocaine-trafficking group. 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.. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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. 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. Again he was released on bond and within days Mexican federal prosecutors leveled a new round of charges against him tied to the alleged fraudulent loans, which they say approached $250 million. Prosecutor Creighton Waters noted that stare each day in court. Michelle Zamarripa, 59, 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. 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. USAA wants some remote employees in the office three days Texas Vista owner has threatened hospital shutdown before, VIA adding 8 new buses to its fleet and theyre all electric, BCSO: 3 arrested after 6 smuggled people, 3 stash houses found, Bexar County deputy reunites African tortoise with owners, Gunmen blast 75 rounds at Northwest Side apartment. That fact is evident from the number of firearms recovered in this investigation - not to mention the silencers, grenade and body armor. 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 . Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. Jason Buch, Guillermo Contreras, San Antonio Express-News. His lawyer, Roy Barrera Jr., said Flores wasn't involved in public corruption or organized crime. (Robert McLeroy/Staff). And that is why we want to ask questions as far as their involvement or knowledge.. During the stop, a search of the vehicle was conducted. He pleaded guilty to operating a money transmitting business without a license, Barrera said. Jason Buch is a freelance journalist based in Texas. Madilyn Marie Alvarado, age 26 of Del Rio ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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: But Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman wanted to know if he saw the mangled bodies of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh as he tried to sleep or thought about how he disgraced his family's three-generation reputation for justice through lying, stealing and eventually murder. Mark Anthony Ojeda, 33, of San Antonio; In February, Villarreal slipped across one of the international bridges in El Paso and turned himself in to federal agents. 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. I think he's not guilty, so I was shocked.. DRUG BUSTThe Castle Hills Police Department confiscated 6.5 grams of Fentanyl and over four grams of Heroin during a traffic stop overnight. 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. Juror Craig Moyer told ABC News that when deliberations began, the jury immediately took a poll that came back with nine guilty votes. Monday February 10, 2003. Fridays hearing again took place in a packed courtroom. Fernando Salazar, a recently elected senator from Coahuila who's in the opposing National Action Party, or PAN, said he thinks the problem goes well beyond the former treasurer and interim governor. Javier Armando Casas, 40, of Pharr; And that was the reason they offered it, Griffin said. 01 Mar 2023 22:30:08 Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( One victim reportedly paid more than $12,000 to get to the San Antonio area, according to the sheriff. 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 . 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. Bryan Anthony Brown, age 33 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. Here's What's Up in San Diego County for July 9, 2022. 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. Jesus Manuel DeLuna aka Chuy, 48, of San Antonio; Lawyers for both men maintain they're innocent. Nicolas Rodriguez, age 39 of San Antonio; 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. 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 government's investigation shouldn't stop with the drug gangs, the former governor told the Saltillo newspaper Vanguardia. Now, said Herberg, the No. Further back, in the 1800s, Coahuila y Tejas was one state under Mexican rule. The lawsuit seeks $2.8 million in an account Torres has in Bermuda. As Torren businessman Guillermo Flores Cordero stepped off a private jet in August at San Antonio International Airport, federal agents were waiting to take him to Corpus Christi to face charges that he illegally used shell companies to transfer millions of dollars from Mexico to the U.S. for others. They whisked him to San Antonio, where prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging him with another count of money laundering. The sheriffs office said most of the suspects that were arrested are documented gang members.. 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. 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 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. And it might not have been you. 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 press conference took place around 11:45 a.m. Friday in the 500 block of Porter. It might have been the monster you become," Newman said. Ivan Herrera has worked as a journalist in San Antonio since 2016. The BCSOs Gang Unit and Organized Crime Unit handled the investigation of the drug bust. Lock 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. 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.. James Patric Bartlett, age 42 of San Antonio; and, At sentencing, Murdaugh maintained his innocence, just as he did when he testified in his own defense during the six-week trial. Rubn Moreira, the current governor, told Mexican reporters that Gonzlez Trevio's position was unofficial and unpaid. Frank Anthony Hernandez aka Pancho, 36, of San Antonio; Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( 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. They didn't do any mining.. SAN ANTONIO - Twenty five men and women are in custody after authorities busted a drug distribution operation in the San Antonio area Thursday, according to officials. Joshua Hamilton, 30, was arrested on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. 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. By then, Villarreal disappeared. Albelardo Oviedo, age 29 of San Antonio. Meanwhile, the U.S. investigation sprawled. 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.. 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. Gutierrez faces between five and 40 years upon conviction. 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 . A good liar. 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. Salazar said the three suspects face charges of human smuggling, engaging in organized crime . 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. He did say this is part of a larger drug operation and the investigation is on-going. Oscar Oviedo, age 26 of San Antonio; Some sit empty today. He is the father of Ashley Villarreal, who at 14 was fatally shot by DEA agents conducting a stakeout in San Antonio in February 2003. As I tell you again, I respect this court. Matthew Villa, 51, of San Antonio Fernando Jose Moreno, age 45 of San Antonio; 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. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Rodger Hernandez aka Rocky, 43, of San Antonio I looked in his eyes. He's facing a federal charge of possession with an intent to distribute over 500 grams of a controlled substance, according to Salazar. 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. BCSO AND DEA TAG UNIT DRUG BUST According to Salazar, deputies found a couple hundred grams of methamphetamine and black tar heroin and $9,000. Six people are in custody following a drug bust in east Bexar County earlier this week, according to the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. But I am innocent. Today, federal, state and local authorities arrested 26 individuals, including "TMM General" Raul Ramos, and are looking for four others in connection with a heroin/cocaine trafficking operation in the San Antonio area announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr.; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge 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. They are either identified as being investors in some of these corporations, or persons with knowledge of some of the transactions, Herberg said. Nowadays, its habitats, conservation and education. The former governor, Eugenio Hernndez Flores, has said those allegations are false. 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. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Jay Haggard, 34, of San Antonio Shes a recreation specialist for GEO, supervising children at play, he said. Tracy Kinsinger came to the courthouse with a homemade sign reading Murderer that he made the night before. Good Morning San Antonio. Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. All rights reserved. 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. In total, officials found seven kilos of heroin and 1.5 kilos of meth, according to the BCSO. Lastiri was sentenced to a total of 100 months in federal prison. WALTERBORO, S.C. One of the last pieces of a legal dynasty that doled out justice in rural South Carolina for decades crumbled Friday as lawyer Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for the murder of his wife and son at their sprawling estate.