On Friday, a federal judge set a $250,000 bond for the Rio Grande City secretary and wife of an accused drug trafficker arrested Thursday on a money laundering charge.
Melissa Anne Garza, wife of Ignacio “Nacho” Garza, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano on Friday afternoon for a detention hearing from Robstown’s Coastal Bend Detention Center.
Garza was arrested Thursday, along with three others — Juan Manuel Cisneros-Gonzalez, Rodrigo Orlando Lopez, and Anniel Lopez — as part of an ongoing case against a Starr County drug trafficking organization led by three people, including Garza’s husband. That case now contains 24 defendants.
All four defendants arrested Thursday had virtual initial hearings Friday morning.
Melissa Anne Garza is facing two charges of money laundering. The first alleges she and the defendants conspired to commit money laundering from November 2020 through March 2021. The second is for an incident from Nov. 29, 2020 involving $78,740.
Garza said she was not guilty in both of those charges and requested to be released on bond through her attorney, Ricardo Montalvo.
The government attorney appealed that request.
U.S. Assistant Attorney Patricia Profit said Garza implicated herself in wiretaps acquired by the government. Garza was heard discussing with her husband how law enforcement was able to find money in a hidden vehicle compartment that was seized.
At one point, Garza allegedly told government agents she was aware of her husband’s illicit business, Profit said.
But more concerning was what Garza did a day after her husband’s arrest, Profit said.
After Ignacio Garza was arrested on Sept. 14, 2021, Garza took out $200,000 from the bank in cashier’s checks and made them out to her family members.
Montalvo said that legal counsel advised Garza to take out the money, though no explanation was offered for that action.
The judge considered the amount of money and whether it could be used to flee. Yet, Garza’s ties to the community are significant.
Garza is a lifelong resident of the community. She was born in Mission and lives in Rio Grande City with her children, who are all U.S. citizens. Her siblings and parents are also U.S. citizens.
Medrano said she factored in those ties when considering whether she was a flight risk. The judge also noted Garza has no criminal history and no recent travel to Mexico.
Garza’s employment history also worked in her favor. She worked as a dental assistant for 14 years, as an employee at a clothing boutique, and most recently as a city secretary and apartment complex operator of a building she owns.
The apartment complex is worth $250,000, the judge said. Medrano ultimately set her unsecured bond at the same amount. So, while Garza does not have to put any money upfront, she stands to lose that property if she misses a court hearing.
Garza will be set free on certain conditions, including the use of a GPS monitor and home detention. However, she can go to work, take her children to school, or make other necessary trips under supervision. She was instructed not to make contact with her husband who remains in federal custody.
The three other defendants who were arrested Thursday are scheduled to have their detention hearings next week.
Rodrigo Orlando Lopez and Anniel Lopez are facing the same federal charge tacked on to Melissa Garza that alleges a conspiracy to commit money laundering from November 2020 through March 2021.
Rodrigo Orlando Lopez is facing an additional charge, same as Garza, for an incident from Nov. 29, 2020 involving $78,740.
Anniel Lopez is facing a second money laundering charge for an incident involving $35,010 from March 8, 2021.
Cisneros-Gonzalez is facing the overall conspiracy charge to distribute cocaine and marijuana from May 2020 through the date of the indictment, which was handed down in September 2020. He’s also facing another charge for possession with intent to distribute cocaine on Feb. 9, 2021.
