McALLEN — A pair of brothers from Rio Grande City and another man face serious drug smuggling and drug conspiracy charges according to an indictment accusing them of transporting more than 300 kilograms of cocaine earlier this year, court records show.
Daniel Sepulveda, Evaristo Sepulveda III and Juan Indalecio Garcia respectively appeared before U.S. Magistrate Peter E. Ormsby on Thursday in an unsealed indictment alleging the three were involved in a conspiracy to transport more than 5 kilograms of cocaine beginning in January.
Garcia and Daniel Sepulveda each appeared at the hearing with retained counsel, while Evaristo Sepulveda told the court he would work on retaining an attorney prior to his next court hearing.
The indictment against the men, which was filed Jan. 30, alleges the three were part of a conspiracy to illegally import and transport 320 kilos of cocaine, documents show.
The indictment is scant on details, but it alleges the men committed the aforementioned offense on or about Jan. 17, 2020, records show.
According to the indictment, the three men face the same charges, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and sell, distribution or dispense a controlled substance.
Of the three men, only Evaristo Sepulveda has a prior criminal history.
According to public records, Evaristo pleaded guilty in state court to a Class A misdemeanor possession of more than 4 ounces of marijuana in September 2008.
All three men were remanded into custody pending a Feb. 11 detention hearing where their counsel would be arguing for a bond in their respective cases; while the government will make arguments on whether or not they agree the men should be granted bonds at all.
