KRGV.com

Tagged News

• Attorney Wants Trial Moved out of Brownsville Play Video

  June 4, 2013 4:28 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Attorney Eddie Lucio filed a motion for a change of venue in his corruption trial. Lucio faces five counts of racketeering and extortion. He was former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos' law partner. The pair is linked to the former state District Judge Abel Limas corruption... more »

• Some Drug Cases to be Dismissed after Guilty Pleas in Panama Unit Case Play Video

  May 31, 2013 1:05 PM

  EDINBURG - Dozens of criminal cases are being tossed out of court after this week's guilty pleas in the Panama Unit corruption investigation. Former law enforcement officers Jonathan Treviño, Salvador Arguello, Claudio Mata and Eric Alcantar pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy. Hidalgo County District Attorney Rene... more »

• Hidalgo County Sheriff Vows to Fight Corruption Play Video

  May 29, 2013 8:09 PM

  EDINBURG - Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino on Wednesday reacted to the guilty pleas entered by his son, three of his former deputies and a former Mission police officer. The men pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges. The men admitted in federal court that they took drug loads from... more »

• Villalobos' Conviction Raises Questions about Other Cases Play Video

  May 28, 2013 7:34 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - The conviction of Cameron County's former District Attorney Armando Villalobos on corruption charges has called into question cases handled during his time in office. Federal authorities launched an investigation into corruption at the DA's office after the sentencing of convicted murderer Amit Livingston. Livingston confessed to... more »

• Ex-Cameron County District Attorney Takes the Stand Play Video

  May 23, 2013 4:38 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - The former Cameron County district attorney testified in federal court today. Armando Villalobos is charged with several counts of bribery and racketeering. He said he was only doing his job and helping his family. He's accused of bribing former judge Abel Limas and abusing his power as... more »

• Prosecutors Rest Their Case in Corruption Trial Play Video

  May 22, 2013 12:46 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Federal prosecutors rested their case in the corruption trial of the former Cameron County district attorney. Armando Villalobos is charged with several counts of racketeering and bribery. The charges are in connection to an FBI investigation into legal corruption involving former district judge Abel Limas. Defense... more »

• Former Judge Testifies in Corruption Case Play Video

  May 14, 2013 4:29 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Former state District Judge Abel Limas finished a second day of testimony in the trial against former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos. Villalobos is being tried on charges of racketeering and bribery. Limas on Tuesday drew fire from defense attorneys. They asked the former judge... more »

• Testimony Continues in Villalobos' Corruption Trial Play Video

  May 13, 2013 4:28 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Cross examination is underway in the corruption case against former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos. He's charged with several counts of racketeering and extortion. Opening arguments were given this morning, and the first witnesses took the stand. Prosecutors claim Villalobos abused his office through bribery,... more »

• Jury Selected for Villalobos Trial

  May 10, 2013 7:21 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Testimony will get underway Monday in the corruption trial against former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos. Villalobos is charged with several counts of racketeering and extortion. Prosecutors said he abused his office through bribery, extortion and favoritism. Villalobos maintains his innocence. Twelve jurors and... more »

• Judge to Decide Handy's Fate Play Video

  May 9, 2013 8:20 PM

  EDINBURG - Former Hidalgo County Precinct 1 Commissioner Sylvia Handy put her fate in the hands of a judge Thursday. The judge will decide if she is guilty of using tax money to pay people who showed up on the county payrolls but did not work for the county.... more »

• 2 Starr County Jailers Behind Bars Play Video

  April 23, 2013 8:28 PM

  RIO GRANDE CITY - Two Starr County jailers are behind bars accused of violating the laws they swore to uphold. One of the jailers was arrested in March and the second this week. "We do have a problem," Starr County Judge Eloy Vera said. Vera said the problem... more »

• Federal Agent Accused of Falsifying Records Play Video

  April 17, 2013 5:22 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - A federal agent pleaded not guilty to falsifying records. The plea was entered Wednesday in a federal courtroom in Brownsville. Marco Rodriguez, 40, is accused of lying about two ongoing investigations. He was indicted last week. Rodriguez is free on bond. His trial is set for... more »

• Former Deputy Pleads Guilty to Bribery Charges Play Video

  April 12, 2013 4:02 PM

  RIO GRANDE CITY - A former Starr County sheriff's deputy faces up to 20 years in prison for bribery. Romeo Javier Ramirez pleaded guilty to the charges. He admitted to accepting bribes from drug smugglers. Ramirez surrendered to authorities last month in Houston. Court records show he accepted... more »

• Former Panama Unit Members Plead Not Guilty Play Video

  April 12, 2013 4:00 PM

  McALLEN - The members of a former drug interdiction unit pleaded not guilty to drug conspiracy charges. Seven of the nine former members of Hidalgo County's disbanded Panama Unit entered the pleas in a federal court Friday in McAllen. The former lawmen are accused in a corruption case.... more »

• Former Deputy Charged in Corruption Case Play Video

  April 2, 2013 4:18 PM

  McALLEN - A former Hidalgo County sheriff's deputy went before a judge Tuesday in a federal corruption case. Jorge Garza was arrested Monday. Federal agents said Garza and fellow deputy J.P. Flores were paid $10,000 to conduct fake traffic stops, seize drug loads and turn them over to Fernando... more »

• Rosenthal Guilty of Racketeering Play Video

  February 28, 2013 10:23 PM

  CORPUS CHRISTI (AP) - A jury on Thursday convicted an Austin personal injury attorney of racketeering charges as part of a federal investigation into judicial bribery. The verdict announced in Corpus Christi concluded the four-week trial of lawyer Marc Rosenthal. Rosenthal was found guilty of 13 counts including racketeering conspiracy,... more »

• Jury Selected for Rosenthal's Trial Play Video

  January 31, 2013 5:29 PM

  CORPUS CHRISTI - A jury has been selected for a trial linked to the former state district Judge Abel Limas corruption scandal. Marc Rosenthal will be the second defendant tried in the case. The trial is set to begin Monday in a Corpus Christi courtroom. Rosenthal was indicted... more »

• Panama Unit Members Indicted Play Video

  January 9, 2013 4:25 PM

  McALLEN - A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted four former members of Hidalgo County's now-disbanded Panama Unit. The grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Jonathan Trevino, Alexis Rigoberto Espinoza, Fabian Rodriguez and Gerardo Mendoza-Duran. The indictment includes one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent... more »

• Cameron County Deputies Assisted in Investigation of Drug Escorts Play Video

  December 14, 2012 10:31 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Cameron County sheriff's deputies participated in the investigation that netted four allegedly corrupt Rio Grande Valley lawmen. Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said the allegations of wrongdoing are a black eye for the local law enforcement community. "We need to get rid of people who have... more »

• Survey: Greece seen as most corrupt in EU

  December 5, 2012 1:59 AM

  BERLIN (AP) An international watchdog group says a new survey shows the countries worst hit by the European financial crisis are also seen as among the most corrupt in the European Union. Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index released Wednesday shows Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece with the lowest scores... more »

• Acapulco mayor plans to fire 500 police officers Play Video

  November 3, 2012 9:04 AM

  ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) - The mayor of Mexico's resort city of Acapulco says he will fire 500 police officers because they failed tests used to identify corrupt officers. Mayor Luis Aburto Walton says he will ask the federal government to send in federal agents to help what is left of... more »

• Officials: Corruption Still a Problem in Mexico Play Video

  November 2, 2012 1:06 PM

  MEXICO CITY - Mexican officials are questioning 23 police officers about their alleged ties to drug cartels. The officers were detained Thursday in a suburb of Mexico City. Mexico's federal government acknowledged corruption continues to be a major problem. Most people earn low wages. Another high-profile arrest... more »

• CBP Beats Polygraph Deadline Play Video

  October 3, 2012 5:19 PM

  WESLACO - Customs and Border Protection leaders are increasing efforts to weed out corruption from their ranks. The agency administered polygraph examinations to incoming employees in compliance with the Anti-Border Corruption Act of 2010. The law went into effect on 2011. The law requires that all CBP law enforcement... more »

• Sylvia Handy Wants State Charges Dropped Play Video

  August 16, 2012 5:19 PM

  EDINBURG - Attorneys for Sylvia Handy today said the state should dismiss charges against her and asked a judge to drop the case. The former Hidalgo County Precinct 1 commissioner and her attorneys claimed she is being subjected to double jeopardy. They said she already has been charged and... more »

• Rosenthal Claims Feds Violated Law Play Video

  July 25, 2012 7:07 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - A personal injury lawyer from Austin implicated in a corruption scandal will file a complaint alleging prosecutors violate attorney-client privileges. Marc Rosenthal was indicted last summer on 13 counts of bribery as part of former state District Judge Abel Limas' corruption investigation. Rosenthal is accused to paying... more »

• Cameron County DA Asks for Another Delay in His Trial Play Video

  July 12, 2012 12:23 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos has requested another delay in his federal trial for corruption. Villalobos was indicted on May 7 on 10 counts of extortion and honest services fraud. He is accused of allowing a convicted murderer out of prison on bail and getting a... more »

• Court Ruling Could Affect Cases Heard by Limas Play Video

  June 22, 2012 6:53 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Hundreds of court rulings could be called into question after the Texas Supreme Court overturned a civil case heard by former state District Judge Abel Limas. The case stems from a 2008 campaign ad published in two local newspapers. Four men claimed the display was libelous, and... more »

• Limas' Associate Gets 10 Years

  June 19, 2012 4:06 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Jose Manuel "Meme" Longoria, the convicted middleman in a corruption scandal in Cameron County, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Longoria, 52, was sentenced for his role in the FBI's public corruption investigation of former 404th District Court Judge Abel Corral Limas. Longoria, a resident... more »

• Villalobos Wants Charges Dropped Play Video

  June 19, 2012 1:13 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos on Friday filed a petition to have charges against him dropped. The criminal case against Armando Villalobos stems from former state District Judge Abel Limas' corruption case. Villalobos is facing charges of running a criminal enterprise, bribery, extortion, racketeering, honest... more »

• Marchan Guilty on All Charges Play Video

  June 18, 2012 4:05 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - A Port Isabel attorney accused of paying kickbacks to a former state district judge was convicted Monday on seven charges stemming from a corruption investigation in Brownsville. A jury found Ray Marchan guilty on all seven charges he faced. He is the first of 12 people named... more »

• Former Governor Yarrington Denies Accusations

  June 8, 2012 5:36 PM

  TAMAULIPAS - Former Tamaulipas Governor Tomas Yarrington is denying allegations that he took money from the Gulf and the Zetas drug cartels and channeled it through front men to buy properties in Texas. He claims the allegations are part of an effort by the administration of President Felipe Calderon... more »

• Testimony Begins in Marchan Trial Play Video

  June 5, 2012 12:15 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Testimony began today in the racketeering and conspiracy trial of attorney Ray Marchan of Port Isabel. Marchan is accused of paying more than $11,000 to former State District Judge Abel Limas in exchange for favorable rulings. Marchan claims the money was given to the judge as... more »

• Former Cameron County DA Investigator Sentenced

  May 30, 2012 5:16 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - A former investigator for the Cameron County District Attorney's Office was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. Jaime Munivez was convicted in connection to a bribery scheme involving a former state district judge. The sentence was announced almost six months after Muniz pleaded... more »

• Former State Representative Disbarred Play Video

  May 3, 2012 4:46 PM

  HARLINGEN - A former state representative involved with a Rio Grande Valley judge corruption case has been disbarred. Jim Solis of Harlingen pleaded guilty about a year ago to bribing former state district judge Abel Limas. He's still awaiting sentencing on that federal case. Yesterday, the State Bar... more »

• More Brownsville School Leaders Respond to Audit Alleging Corruption Play Video

  February 24, 2012 6:58 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - More Brownsville school leaders are responding to an audit that said there was "systemic corruption at practically every level in the past." Three BISD board members sat down to talk to CHANNEL 5 NEWS about the 57-page report that states money was misspent throughout BISD when Brett... more »

• Brownsville ISD Audit Reveals "Systemic Corruption" Play Video

  February 23, 2012 11:02 AM

  BROWNSVILLE - Forensic auditors say they found "systemic corruption at practically every level within past BISD management." The 57-page forensic audit examined the Brownsville Independent School District for three school years. It states money was misspent throughout BISD when Brett Springston was superintendent. In the transportation and maintenance departments,... more »

• Bail Bondsman in Limas Corruption Case Sentenced

  February 14, 2012 11:46 AM

  BROWNSVILLE - Francisco Cisneros, a bail bondsman who admitted to bribing ex-state judge Abel Limas, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay a $2,500 fine and serve a three-year-term of supervised release upon completing his prison term. In August, the 47-year-old entered... more »

• Trial for Defendant in Limas Corruption Trial Delayed Play Video

  January 31, 2012 7:01 PM

  A defendant in the Abel Limas corruption case won't go to trial this week. Ray Marchan is accused of giving Limas $11,000 in bribes in exchange for favorable rulings from former Limas. The former state district judge pleaded guilty last year in his racketeering case. Marchan is asking... more »

• Former Mercedes Superintendent Facing Corruption Charges

  January 24, 2012 7:28 PM

  SAN DIEGO - A former Mercedes ISD superintendent is now facing corruption charges in San Diego, California. The district attorney says a yearlong investigation showed Dr. Jesus Gandara and four other people from the Sweetwater Union School District accepted bribes for multi-million dollar school construction projects. Gandara was the... more »

• Another Person in Limas Corruption Case to Plead Guilty

  November 29, 2011 9:53 PM

  BROWNSVILLE - Another person involved with the Limas corruption scandal will plead out. Forty-seven-year-old Jaime Munivez is accused of getting $10,000 in exchange for providing a fraudulent drug forfeiture document. Federal prosecutors say he did that when he worked for the Cameron County District Attorney's Office three years ago. Investigators... more »