The city secretary for Rio Grande City and wife of an indicted Starr County drug trafficker was one of four people arrested on Thursday afternoon, according to federal sources.
Melissa Garza, wife of Ignacio “Nacho” Garza and the city secretary for Rio Grande City, was arrested Thursday on charges of money laundering, according to federal sources familiar with the situation who spoke to The Monitor.
Garza was one of four taken into federal custody.
“DEA alongside federal and state counterparts arrested four individuals today related to an ongoing drug investigation,” Sally Sparks, the Houston DEA media relations spokesperson, said Thursday.
Ignacio “Nacho” Garza is a suspected drug trafficker in the Starr County area who was one of 18 people indicted on 16 charges that range from conspiring to distribute drugs to money laundering.
Ignacio Garza, the only defendant facing all 16 charges, is considered one of the leaders of the drug trafficking operation in Starr County, and during his detention hearing, prosecutors revealed he reportedly tried to hire a hitman from Mexico after he suspected someone lost a drug load.
The latest amended indictment alleges Ignacio Garza conspired with then justice of the peace Roel “Role” Valadez and another co-defendant to launder money from November 2020 to March 2021.
According to testimony during a hearing, the accused drug trafficker said he fully funded Valadez’s campaign.
Aside from her familial ties to Ignacio Garza, Melissa Garza serves as the city secretary for Rio Grande City.
The city released a statement via social media that stated: “The City was informed this morning that the City Secretary was not coming into work today. We have been contacted by several media outlets requesting information about an alleged investigation. At this time, the City has not been able to confirm any facts related to an investigation surrounding the City Secretary.”
