Free Republic

A member of the Texas Mexican Mafia who admitted participating in two murders was moved from a federal jail for his own safety after a local television station erroneously reported that he was cooperating, authorities told a judge Wednesday. Ray Carrasco was moved last month after KENS-TV posted a video report on mySA.com that talked about his plea deal but wrongly said he was cooperating with law officers, an FBI agent and a prosecutor said at Carrasco's plea hearing. “I can and will tell you he is not cooperating. Period,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Joey Contreras told U.S. District Judge Orlando...

A federal grand jury indicted almost two dozen alleged Texas Mexican Mafia members Tuesday on racketeering charges that involve more than 20 slayings in San Antonio, Austin and Atascosa County. Most of the 23 defendants, part of the state's largest prison gang, already were in custody on lesser or temporary charges. FBI agents, San Antonio police and members of a gang task force fanned out to arrest the remaining few only hours after the indictment Tuesday, according to law enforcement and legal sources. The indictment ups the ante, with charges that could result in the death penalty against some of...

Federal prosecutors said the government had its boot on the neck of the Texas Mexican Mafia. A jury on Wednesday helped them cut off the head. After deliberating for a little more than a day, the five-woman, seven-man panel found four members of the gang guilty on various charges, including the most serious one — participating in the Mexican Mafia's conspiracy to distribute large quantities of heroin and cocaine. That charge carries a punishment of 10 years to life in prison, but because the jury also ruled on special circumstances, their sentences could start at 25 years, and at least...