Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts in Houston, Texas

June 14, 2007

ZAPATA COUNTY JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, TASK FORCE INVESTIGATOR AND CODE ENFORCEMENT WORKER INDICTED

[LAREDO, TX] A former Zapata County Sheriff’s Deputy, who is presently a Zapata County Justice of the Peace, a South Texas Violent Crimes Task Force investigator, and a Zapata County Code Enforcement Officer have been indicted for extorting money from drug traffickers in exchange for providing law enforcement protection for their drug shipments, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle and Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Ralph G. Diaz announced today.

Zapata County Justice of the Peace Manuel Martinez, 43, formerly a Zapata County Sheriff’s deputy, South Texas Violent Crimes Task Force (STVCTF) Investigator Jose Amaro, 40, and Zapata County Code Enforcement worker Ruben Elizondo, 37, all of whom reside in Zapata, TX, were arrested on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Following the arrest of all three defendants, a 10-count indictment, returned on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, was unsealed. The defendants are expected to appear this morning before a U. S. Magistrate Judge in Laredo.

Following the arrest of the defendants, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle said, “It is a sad day for the majority of good law enforcement officers everywhere when greed overcomes a fellow officer’s oath to support and enforce the law. Accountability will follow.”

“The FBI will continue to be vigilant, and will aggressively investigate any element of public corruption wherever it may be found,” said Ralph G. Diaz, Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Martinez, Amaro, and Elizondo are accused of extorting money from drug traffickers in exchange for Martinez using his official position as a Zapata County Sheriff’s Deputy and Amaro using his official position as an Investigator on the South Texas Violent Crimes Task Force to insure the undetected passage of the drug traffickers and their drug shipments through Zapata County between June 2006 through November 2006.

The first count of the indictment alleges Martinez received four separate $5,000 - $5,500 bribe payments between June 2006 and November 2006 from purported drug traffickers to provide protection for the trafficker and their drug loads, and funneled money to Amaro and Elizondo for their part in the conspiracy.

Counts Two through Four of the indictment charge Martinez and Amaro, and Count Five charges all three defendants with specific acts of extortion related to the receipt of the bribe payments in July, August, October and November 2006. Martinez and Amaro are accused of disclosing sensitive law enforcement information to drug traffickers about Task Force operations, using their combined knowledge of law enforcement operations to assist the drug traffickers and their drug loads to avoid detection and apprehension by law enforcement, and failing to make arrests or seize the contraband or the drug proceeds. Elizondo and Amaro are alleged to have assisted with the smuggling operations by providing “counter-surveillance” information to Martinez. A conviction for any one of the these five felony offenses carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison, without parole, and a $250,000 fine.

Martinez, Amaro, and Elizondo are all charged in Count Six with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 4,000 pounds of marijuana beginning in June 2006 through November 2006. Counts Seven through Nine charge Martinez and Amaro and Count Ten charges all three defendants with attempting to aid and abet the possession with intent to distribute thousand pound quantities of marijuana associated with the bribe payments in July, August; October; and November 2006. The conspiracy count carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten (10) years in federal prison, without parole, and a maximum of life imprisonment upon conviction, and a maximum fine of $4 million. Each count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 year imprisonment, and a $2 million fine, upon conviction.

 

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