Texas: More Than 40 Kilos of Cocaine Seized From City Maintenance Worker

By Jess Smith First Posted: Feb 04, 2022 07:33 AM EST

The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office in Texas recently seized more than 42 kilograms of cocaine from a city maintenance worker, officials said.

Jose Alfonso Treviño Jr., 44, of Hidalgo, was pulled over by a deputy on the 4700 block of South Jackson Road in Pharr late last month and admitted to possessing a personal use amount of cocaine.

However, a search of the vehicle revealed two grocery bags on the rear floorboards that contained 10 bundles of cocaine. According to Progress Times, Hidalgo city manager Julian Gonzalez terminated Treviño on Tuesday.

During a detention hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Alfred Fry said Treviño's offense is "serious" since it's not just a traffic stop.

Fry noted that a significant amount of narcotics were discovered, and Treviño even tried to "tamper with, destroy, obstruct" the "evidence in this case."

According to documents released under the Texas Public Information Act, the city of Hidalgo hired Trevino in June 2012, and he worked for the Water Department, which paid him about $10.35 per hour.

Texas Man Admits to Cocaine Possession During Traffic Stop

According to the criminal complaint, the "10 bundles of a white powdery substance" that were found inside Jose Alfonso Treviño Jr.'s vehicle "tested positive for the properties of cocaine."

The bundles reportedly weighed nearly 11 kilograms. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations questioned Treviño about the illegal drugs.

Prior to the interrogation, Trevino asked if he could call his wife, according to the criminal complaint. During the call, he asked his wife, Rita Eva Moreno-Tinoco, to inform their son to clean out the garage "in order for something to be parked in there."

Other law enforcement agents had already started watching Treviño's house. When Moreno-Tinoco arrived in a white Chevrolet Traverse, officers saw her grab two plastic storage bins from the garage and put them in the vehicle.

Officers then pulled her over and searched the Chevrolet. Police said 27 bundles or about 31 kilograms of cocaine were found inside the plastic storage bins that Moreno-Tinoco had previously removed from the garage.

Agents charged Treviño and Moreno-Tinoco with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, MyRGV reported.

Texas Suspect Requests Bond

During Tuesday's detention hearing, Fry, the federal prosecutor, asked U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker to hold Jose Alfonso Treviño Jr. without bond. However, federal public defender Abel Guerrero, representing the Texas suspect, requested a bond.

Guerrero said Treviño is suffering from cirrhosis, and his liver has been "in bad shape for quite some time." The lawyer further noted that Treviño also suffers from long COVID-19 symptoms.

Guerrero continued that his client takes roughly 14 medications, adding that "his health is really a concern." But according to Fry, the Texas man threatened law enforcement officers after his arrest, saying things like "he knows who they are and when he gets out he's going to f*ck" them up."

Fry said Treviño was "very upset" about the arrest, possibly due to the money seized from him. The judge then said he would review the facts and eventually decide on it.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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