30+ Horses Seized in Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Case in TX and OK

According to a release shared this month by The United States Attorney’s Office of Western Texas, authorities have arrested 15 individuals on federal drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy charges that span from South and Central Texas to Oklahoma.

Those arrested include:

Name                                                                      Age                 Residence

Juan Villarreal-Arelis (aka “Juando”)                         43                    Mission, TX
Reymundo Villarreal-Arelis (aka “Mundo”)               45                    Mission
Jose Luis Villarreal-Gonzalez (aka “Nune”)               32                    Mission
Manuel Villarreal-Garcia                                          40                    Mission
Sergio Guadalupe Adame-Ochoa                             65                    McAllen, TX
Norma Leticia Villarreal-Garcia                                47                    Mission
Iza Corina Flores-Alanis                                          36                    Mission
Jovanna Villarreal-Diaz                                            37                    Mission
Raymundo Villarreal, Jr. (aka “Mundito”)                   23                    Mission
Gilberto Villarreal-Villarreal                                     27                    Mission
Juan Antonio Villarreal                                             24                    Mission
Jesus Jaime Andrade                                                37                    Mission
Denis Winn                                                              54                    Tecumseh, OK
Jose Luis Villarreal-Arelis (aka “El Cosas”)                57                    Mission
Nancy Isela Villarreal-Gonzalez                               51                    Mission

The federal grand jury indictment was returned to San Antonio in April and unsealed June 17th. According to the indictment, since January 2000, the defendants have conspired to: “(1) engage in financial transactions using proceeds derived from the importation, receiving, concealment, buying, and/or selling cocaine; and (2), transport or transmit monetary instruments to locations outside of the United States in an effort to conceal the source, ownership and control of proceeds derived from unlawful activity.”

“The indictment alleges that beginning in 2011, the defendants purchased American Quarter Horses from an auction house in Oklahoma using drug proceeds collected in San Antonio. The indictment specifically identifies six occasions in October and November 2011, where payments were made for horses. Each payment was under $10,000 so as to avoid having to complete an IRS form 8300, which would have alerted the IRS and possibly raised suspicion about the source of the funds.”

The indictment seeks the forfeiture of twelve properties with an estimated value of $15 million in Hidalgo and Cameron counties. There is also a money judgment against the defendants of $30 million “representing the alleged proceeds derived from their criminal enterprise.”

During the course of the investigation, the following has been seized:

• 20 vehicles
• 30+ horses
• 60+ firearms
• 100+ kilos of cocaine
• $50,000+ in US currency
• $500,000 in farm equipment

If convicted, those arrested face sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison (drug conspiracy charge), up to 20 years in prison (money laundering charge), and up to five years (structuring charge).