The U.S. Marshals on Friday raided a Weslaco’s man’s house and found drugs, money, ammunition, a rifle and a pistol, according to a criminal complaint.
The suspect targeted is Jose Raquel Lerma Sr. and is facing a federal charge of felon in possession of a firearm.
More federal charges could be forthcoming as on May 3, court entries in his state case indicated a possible federal investigation and the complaint for his Friday arrest said the U.S. Marshals along with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office executed the search warrant for a felony narcotics violation.
During a post-Miranda interview following the raid, Lerma Sr. admitted that the model Low15 MULTI caliber rifle and Smith & Wesson model SW1911 found in his bedroom belonged to him and that he paid a friend $2,000 for the firearms, according to the complaint.
Federal authorities also allege that Lerma Sr. admitted to being a convicted felon with no legal status to reside in the United States, as well as being aware that his felony convictions and legal status prevented him from purchasing and owning firearms and ammunition.
He was scheduled to make a first appearance Monday morning in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis, according to federal court records.
LERMA JR.
Lerma Sr. is the father of 32-year-old Jose Raquel Lerma Jr., who in an unrelated case is accused of selling a band playing at a McAllen bar on Nov. 14, 2020 cocaine laced with fentanyl that killed a 29-year-old trombonist.
Lerma Jr.’s charges include four counts of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance resulting in death and serious bodily injury and a count of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance.
Lerma Jr. has been free on $100,000 in bonds since June 12, 2021.
Lerma Jr. is accused of selling the drugs which killed Sergio Sanchez, a member of Brownsville’s Banda La Nueva Generación de Chuy Hernandez. The drugs sent three other band members to the hospital.
Lerma Jr. has pleaded not guilty to the state charges and his next appearance is scheduled for December, but now that he is in federal custody it will be more difficult for state authorities to secure his presence at the pre-trial hearing.
Sanchez and his bandmate’s overdoses were caught on cellphone video that circulated widely on social media at the time.
The incident happened at the Old Beer House.
“Upon arriving at location they learned it appeared that four males were consuming narcotics in a men’s bathroom stall. While processing the scene and rendering aid to the subjects officers located cocaine wrapped in distinctive and unique packaging on two of the four males,” an affidavit for his arrest stated.
Video obtained by investigators and the distinct drug packaging lead authorities to Lerma Jr., according to the affidavit.
“I reviewed the video and it showed Jose Lerma AKA ‘Pelon’ at the ‘Old Beer House’ interacting with the males who were later found unresponsive specifically Sergio Sanchez (Deceased male) prior to officers arriving on scene. In the video it shows Sergio Sanchez to be in good health,” the affidavit stated.
Editor’s note: This story and headline were updated throughout to correct and clarify information about two related suspects, who share the same name, and the charges they’re facing in unrelated cases.
