Six men have pleaded guilty Wednesday after Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested them earlier this year for being in possession of 33 pounds of cocaine and nearly $400,000 in cash.
Jose Bernardo Gonzalez-Gomez, 55, and Jose Santiago Luna-During, 45, both of Mexico; and Edinburg residents Arlando Garcia-Garcia, 40, Martin Vela-Alanis, 58, Oscar Obed Manzanares, 21, and Martin Adrusbel Vela, 35, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
HSI agents arrested them all on March 22.
A criminal complaint said the investigation began when Manzanares crossed from Mexico in a gray GMC Terrain, which he parked at a local business in the 1400 block of East Jackson Avenue in McAllen.
Authorities said in the document that Luna-Duran picked up the vehicle and authorities followed him to an area near the intersection of Trenton and Raul Longoria roads where agents watched as two people unloaded items from the Terrain to a black Ford pickup truck.
Luna-Duran then returned to the McAllen business where Manzanares was waiting. That’s where both men were detained and taken to HSI’s McAllen field office.
Agents discovered a total of $287,760 in the Terrain driven by Luna-Duran, according to the complaint.
While Luna-Duran and Manzanares were detained, special agents followed the black Ford truck to another property on Trenton Road where they watched as a large duffle bag was removed from the vehicle.
The agents approached the property and spoke to Vela-Alanis, Garcia-Garcia, Gonzalez-Gomez and Vela tried to hide the duffle bag, according to the complaint, which said Vela was the homeowner and didn’t allow agents to search the property.
Vela-Alanis freely told special agents that the black truck had just delivered a load of cocaine, according to the complaint.
Agents then obtained a search warrant and discovered 33 pounds of cocaine, an additional $98,338 and a black and gold Colt Model 1911 pistol.
They all reached plea deals with the government, which agreed to recommend a downward departure in sentencing for each defendant if they clearly demonstrate acceptance of responsibility and to dismiss an additional charge of controlled substance (sell, distribute or dispense).
Vela-Alanis is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, which will also be dismissed as part of the deal.
Lastly, the deal calls for the forfeiture of $386,098 in cash.
The men are scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 15 where they face up to life in prison and up to a $10 million fine, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
