The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office arrested four people last Friday on accusations they operated an illegal gambling establishment.
Deputies charged 48-year-old Edinburg resident Margarito Rios Garza, 41-year-old Jorge Alejandro Reyes, 40-year-old San Juan resident Lizeth Yesenia De Leon and 21-year-old Edinburg resident Abril Lira with engaging in organized criminal activity, possession of a gambling device, gambling promotion and keeping a gambling place.
According to probable cause affidavits, deputies executed a search warrant at an eight-liner on north Mile 19 North Road and Farm-to-Market Road 493 in Edcouch after conducting surveillance at the establishment.
Deputies seized 75 eight-liner machines and an unknown amount of cash, according to the probable cause affidavit.
One of the suspects, Garza, had been arrested by HCSO a little more than a year ago, in July 2019, on the exact same charges.
In that case, authorities allege Garza operated or participated in the operation of an illegal gambling establishment in Weslaco.
He remains jailed on $47,500 in bonds, as does Reyes. De Leon is still in the Hidalgo County Detention Center on a total of $30,000 in bonds, while Lira bailed out on $8,000 in bonds, records show.
