Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Latest local news, weather, high school sports in the Rio Grande Valley

Six more people charged in Panama Unit scandal
Posted: 03.06.2013 at 4:23 PM
Sergio Chapa

Sergio is KGBT's Interactive Manager and a reporter for VALLEYCENTRAL.COM.

0
Left To Right: Claudio Mata, Alexis Espinoza, Salvador Arguello, Jonathan Treviño and Eric Alcantar
Slideshow
Photo:

A federal grand jury has handed down a new indictment charging six new people in connection to the “Panama Unit” scandal.

Handed down Wednesday afternoon, the superseding indictment charges three additional members of the former anti-drug task force as well as three other people for various drug and theft charges.

A federal grand jury charged Jonathan Christian Trevino, Alexis Rigoberto Espinoza, Fabian Rodriguez, and Gerardo Mendoza-Duran back in January.

The four were accused of taking bribes to escort drug loads.

But today, the new indictment also names former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Deputies: Salvador Joel Arguello, Claudio Alberto Mata, and Eric Michael Alcantar.

The three former deputies are charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, marijuana and meth.

Prosecutors reported that the superceding indictment also includes one count of theft of government property against Treviño, Rodriguez and Arguello. 

The new indictment also names Fernando Guerra Sr.,Fernando Guerra Jr., and Alvaro Gilberto DeHoyos.

The three men were with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.   

All those charged face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, along with a potential fine up to $10 million.

Popular Stories
Thumbnail
Family claims jealous girl threatened to kill newspaper staff
Veronica Gallegos  |  Yesterday at 7:50 PM  |  28 comments
Thumbnail
Starr County teen killed after being run over by her own car
Nadia Galindo  |  Yesterday at 4:15 PM  |  19 comments
Thumbnail
Tangled web of texts grows, more arrests could come
Marcy Martinez  |  Yesterday at 11:25 PM  |  8 comments
Follow Valley Central
Get news and weather notifications on your phone by downloading the iPhone or Android app below
Sign up to get alerts and updates for breaking news, severe weather, and deals:
submit
ADVERTISEMENT
Special Features
Action 4 Sunrise
Wake up to Action 4 Sunrise Monday through Friday
Food 4 Thought Page
Keep It Clean! Food 4 Thought airs every Wednesday night at 10 pm!
Valley Football Central
LIVE video and audio streams of Rio Grande Valley high school football games.
SPI Web Cams
Watch LIVE weather video cameras from South Padre Island and Port Isabel
ADVERTISEMENT