McALLEN — A former DPS trooper accused of trafficking drugs with his family through the Valley could soon reach an agreement with the government and avoid trial.
Pablo Talavera Jr. was charged by indictment in 2021 with a conspiracy to distribute drugs, specifically heroin and methamphetamine, from Aug. 2019 through Sept. 2021.
According to the criminal complaint, Talavera used his job to provide vehicle registration information and escorting services to vehicles carrying narcotics or cash. Talavera at the time worked as a DPS trooper on Gov. Greg Abbott’s ongoing Operation Lone Star initiative which aimed to crack down on drug and human smuggling.
On Tuesday, Talavera’s attorney, Carlos A. Garcia, went before United States District Judge Micaela Alvarez for a pretrial conference. Garcia told the judge he was in the final stages of resolution with the government.
“It just means that the government and myself are trying to reach a point where both sides can reach an agreement as to the pending charges against my client,” Garcia said. “If we can reach an agreement, that would mean no trial.”
Talavera originally entered a plea of not guilty to the allegations.
Talavera’s co-defendant and sister-in-law, Alondra Jacqueline De Leon, was also indicted on money laundering charges for collecting cash as part of the drug trafficking family and smuggling weapons into Mexico. In June, she entered into an agreement with the government and pleaded guilty to money laundering.
“Going to trial is always a risk for both sides,” Garcia said Tuesday. “Trial obviously spends time and resources. If there’s a way to avoid a trial, then both sides will look towards trying to do that in certain cases. I don’t know if this is one of those cases but it could be.”
Alvarez gave the attorneys an extension to sort out the possible agreement and set another hearing in February to hear if the case will go to a trial.
