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A former Starr County justice of the peace pleaded guilty for his role in a drug-trafficking organization and landed a near-two-year prison sentence as a result.
Rio Grande City residents Roel Valadez Jr., 33, and Diego Alberto Reyes-Roiz, 43, pleaded guilty March 18 and March 25, respectively, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office news release.
Investigation into Valdez’s role began in August 2021 when federal prosecutors unsealed a 10-count indictment against 18 people, which included Valdez.
Valdez, a justice of the peace since 2018, was found to have been doing favors for Ignacio Garza, 53, also of Rio Grande City, one of the heads of the drug-trafficking organization. He tried getting another judge to release one of Garza’s couriers from the Starr County jail.
“(He) made a series of phone calls to the Starr County jail to see if the courier had been booked, and if so, by whom and reached out to another Justice of the Peace to see if he could be released on his own recognizance,” stated the release.
He was arrested on Sept. 15, 2021.
During his plea, Valadez admitted to using his position to assist Garza as well as possessing less than 220 pounds of marijuana he intended to distribute.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani expressed his disappointment with Valadez’s actions as a justice of the peace.
“As an elected official in Starr County, a judge nonetheless, Valadez swore an oath to uphold the law,” said Hamdani in the release. “However, he betrayed his oath of office and the citizens of Starr County when he abused his office to assist and protect a local drug-trafficking organization.”
Reyes-Roiz was found to be the leader of a drug-trafficking organization who would import narcotics from Mexico into the U.S. He was responsible for importing about 94 pounds of meth as well as cocaine and marijuana, according to the release.
He was sentenced to 22 years in prison as well as five years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane while Valdez was ordered to serve 21 months and three years of supervised release.
Reyes-Roiz will remain in custody pending his transfer to federal prison while Valadez remains out on bond.
Garza, who also remains in custody, pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing Sept. 5. He is facing life in federal prison and up to a $10 million fine.
The investigation was composed of a multi-agency effort including the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the IRS as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces. Local task force officers also assisted.
