Posted on 02/01/2011 11:27:18 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
McALLEN — Sullivan City’s former police chief and nine other co-defendants have pleaded guilty in a federal drug case that was part of a nationwide sweep aimed nailing those involved with helping Mexican drug cartels smuggle drugs into the United States.
Hernan Guerra Jr. pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, court records state.
Nine other co-conspirators accepted the plea deal with prosecutors, which dropped seven other counts on federal drug charges.
FBI agents arrested Guerra in June 2010 as part of “Project Deliverance,” a nationwide sweep of suspects accused of working with Mexican drug cartels.
Guerra has remained free on bond since the days after his arrest last year. He was suspended with pay and later fired as Sullivan City’s police chief.
Prosecutors alleged in an eight-count indictment against Guerra and 27 co-defendants that he conspired to move more than 1 ton of marijuana across the Rio Grande on flat-bottom boats in the Sullivan City area.
The alleged smuggling operation took place between June 2009 and February 2010, the indictment states.
Guerra’s lawyer, Oscar Alvarez, said his client knew “from the beginning” that he would not avoid conviction in the case.
“The evidence in the case was pretty straight forward,” Alvarez said. “There were recordings and whatnot.” Alvarez said he did not know any of the other co-conspirators named in the case besides Jose “Chaco” Merced Arechiga, the primary defendant.
“A lot of them were unknown to him, but it only takes knowing one person” to be connected, Alvarez said.
Also pleading guilty Friday alongside Guerra and Arechiga were Salvador "Chino" Villagran, Juan Carlos "Cali" Escalera, Michael Montelongo, Javier "Tripa" Francisco Peña Jr., Renato Villalon, Angel Gilberto Martinez and Noe "Molonco" Salinas.
Sentencing for Guerra and the other co-defendants is set for April 20.
“He understands he abused a position of trust,” Alvarez said of the former chief. “His goal is just to undo the harm he did to the community and his family.”
Why are they not charged with treason?
Because drug law violations are not treason and FBI efforts are not synonymous with patriotism
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