Another suspect wanted for his alleged role in a violent Valentine’s Day attack outside of a strip club on rival motorcycle gang members has been taken into custody.
Edinburg police arrested 39-year-old Brownsville resident Pablo Rodriguez Jr. and charged him with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a count of engaging in organized criminal activity.
Rodriguez was booked into the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on Monday and bailed out on $90,000 in bonds on Tuesday, records show.
Investigators allege he and 13 other men who are members of the Mongol and Pagan motorcycle clubs severely beat an associate of the Bandidos motorcycle gang and shot a member of the Bandidos outside of the Jaguar’s strip club at approximately 3 a.m. Feb. 14.
At a news conference, authorities said the gangs have a “smash on sight” policy when they find their rivals, which is what happened when the Mongol and Pagan’s found out a Bandidos members was outside of the strip club early that morning.
After the violent incident, a statewide investigation was initiated with Edinburg police, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI.
Former police chief Cesar Torres said at a February news conference that this investigation resulted in 42 arrest warrants, 10 search warrants and in just the Valley, police seized 19 weapons, including high-powered rifles and handguns.
All of the suspects face the same charges.
Also charged in the case are 22-year-old Kingsville resident Norberto Rivera Jr., 35-year-old Allen Alberto Soriano, 39-year-old San Antonio resident Richard Aguilar, 38-year-old Weslaco resident Ronald Eric Rada, 39-year-old Esla resident Dino Lee Trevino, 27-year-old McAllen resident Gabriel Juan Casas, 44-year-old Edinburg resident Jorge Sanchez Jr., 40-year-old Weslaco resident Derick Morales, 34-year-old Brownsville resident Enrique Velez Jr., 39-year-old La Feria resident Mario Alberto Palacios II, 30-year-old Edinburg resident Ignacio Lopez Jr. and Ray Caul.
The last suspect who has not been arrested is Andrew Canales.
