The quiet streets of San Antonio's near North Side were pierced early one November morning by the sounds of helicopters, exploding flash-bangs, and FBI agents using bullhorns during a raid on a local triplex. The operation, a coordinated effort between the FBI, ATF, and local police, resulted in the discovery of an arsenal of weapons, drugs, and cash, according to court records obtained by the San Antonio Express-News.
The raid unearthed cocaine, guns including a Glock 30 modified to fire like a machine gun, and more than $12,000. The arrest of two men, Esteban Xavier Flores, and Paul Anthony Chacon for a brutal murder last year was connected to the property at the focus of the raid. Flores, a resident of the Basse Road triplex, is also tied to a larger investigation of the "Walk Down Gang", a group linked to multiple murders, violent assaults, and firearm trafficking, the Express-News uncovered.
A recent indictment charged three individuals, including 19-year-old Bradlee Taylor Grinde who lived at the property and former University Health System employee, and Maria Celeste Padilla. Both Grinde and Padilla pleaded not guilty to charges including intent to distribute cocaine and using a gun during a crime. Grinde faces additional state drug charges related to THC cartridges reportedly sold to local high school students.
In a scene reminiscent of an action movie, agents swarmed the property with tactical precision. "They were saying, ‘Come out. We have a search warrant. Come out’ — over and over,” neighbor Valentin Diaz recounted to Express-News, describing the chaotic start to his day. The FBI's official statement remained tight-lipped, confirming only "court-authorized law enforcement activities".
Wouterus Tilleman, owner of the raided property, expressed his shock to the Express-News at the nature of the operation: "All the FBI and SAPD could tell me is they were doing a raid," he said, relaying that he was not allowed on his property during the search. Tilleman's previous troubles with the law had been limited to an immigration incident with a former tenant.
The raid has shed light on not just drug and gun trafficking but also connected strings of violence in the area. Both Flores and Chacon are charged with the murder of Joe Anthony Guerra, whose tortured body was found dumped in a ditch in April 2022. Moreover, the operation was linked to investigations of drug rings and a separate home invasion that resulted in the death of Kristina Carreon back in April 2022, as detailed in the Express-News coverage.
