VICTORIA, Texas — A gang chief from the Texas Chicano Brotherhood was sentenced to 10 years in federal jail Jan. 10 for his function in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy following an investigation by Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) Victoria, with help from the Texas Division of Public Security; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Starr County District Lawyer’s Workplace; Hidalgo County District Lawyer’s Workplace; and Texas Workplace of the Lawyer Normal.
Tony “Klownman” Torres, a 53-year-old resident of Harlingen, was sentenced within the U.S. District Courtroom for the Southern District of Texas to 10 years in jail to be instantly adopted by 5 years of supervised launch for conspiracy to own with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Torres pleaded responsible to the costs Nov. 8.
The Texas Chicano Brotherhood is a jail gang working primarily within the Rio Grande Valley. Many members of the legal group have been convicted of crimes that embody murders, house invasions, kidnappings, and drug trafficking.
“Gangs just like the Texas Chicano Brotherhood typically depend on trafficking lethal narcotics to fund their operations and different illicit legal actions,” mentioned Assistant Particular Agent in Cost of HSI Corpus Christi and HSI Victoria Mario Trevino. “By working alongside our federal, state, and native legislation enforcement companions to disrupt their drug trafficking operations, we’re capable of hold these lethal poisons from destroying numerous lives and forestall the gang from elevating the legal proceeds that they should reign terror on our native communities.”
The investigation started in 2016 and revealed the drug trafficking operation concerned the distribution of over 5 kilograms of cocaine. It led to the identities of no less than 70 Texas Chicano Brotherhood members and uncovered the group’s rank and construction.
Torres was one in all two generals within the gang and oversaw the group’s legal actions after they have been launched from jail. Torres was discovered to have distributed cocaine within the Harlingen space as his a part of the general conspiracy.
Finally, legislation enforcement carried out a search warrant at his residence which resulted within the seizure of a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. As a convicted felon, Torres is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition below federal legislation.
Torres will stay in custody pending switch to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be decided quickly.
Torres is the third high-ranking member of the gang to be sentenced due to the investigation. In 2020, Ricardo Garcia and Rafael Diaz, two fellow gang leaders within the Texas Chicano Brotherhood who each resided in Rio Grande Metropolis have been sentenced to twenty months and 145 months in jail respectively.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patti Hubert Sales space and David Paxton prosecuted the case.
For extra information and knowledge on HSI’s efforts to aggressively examine gangs and drug trafficking in Southeast Texas observe us on Twitter @HSIHouston.