Authorities in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas arrested 25 people as part of a massive crackdown on illegal drugs being shipped by mail.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas reported the arrests on Thursday afternoon.
Federal prosecutors said The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Border Patrol and the Hidalgo County Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force participated in the multi-city sweep.
Among those arrested are:
- Jesus Castillo, 32, of Donna
- Carlos Ojeda, 48, of San Juan
- Homar De Hoyos, 27, of San Juan
- Manuel E. Gomez, 20, of Pharr
- Juan Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 46, of McAllen
- Carmen Serrano, 38, of McAllen
- Don Diego White, 33, of McAllen
- Sydia Arroyo, 31, of McAllen
- Benjamin Gonzalez, 24, of Mission
- Miguel Roman, 26, of Mission
- Esmeralda Balderas, 36, of Mission
- Ramiro Vasquez, 37, of Mission
- Luis Rodriguez, 47, of Mission
- Maria I. Sanchez, 33, of Mission
- Carmen Munoz, 25, of Mission
- Maria Mendez-Lopez, 36, of Mission
- Sergio Gonzalez, 26, of Corpus Christi
- Miguel Cerda, 19, of Corpus Christi
- Jonathan J. Martinez, 22, of Corpus Christi
- Javier Zavala, 24, of Weslaco
- Nelson Martinez, 26, of Edinburg
- Juan M. Alaniz, 37, of Brownsville
- San Juanita Villegas, 41, of Alton
- Ivan Van Buren, 45, of Corona, California
- Mauro Martinez, 34, of Mexico
Investigators told Action 4 News that the 25 are accused of placing illegal drugs in packages and mailing them to various destinations throughout the United States.
Prosecutors said the arrests are part of an ongoing effort to stop criminals in the Rio Grande Valley from using the mail to ship marijuana and other drugs.
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