Former Starr County Justice and Drug Ring Leader Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Activities

In a notable case of legal corruption, a former justice of the peace (JP) and another individual from Starr County have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in drug trafficking activities, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Roel Valadez Jr., 33, the ex-JP of Rio Grande City, will face 21 months behind bars, while Diego Alberto Reyes-Roiz, 43, also from Rio Grande City, received a significantly harsher sentence of 22 years due to his role as the head of the operation.

Both men had previously entered guilty pleas, with Valadez acknowledging his plea on March 18 and Reyes-Roiz following suit on March 25; Reyes-Roiz, admitted to being the lead of an organization importing significant drug quantities from Mexico was deemed responsible for bringing in approximately 43 kilograms of meth into the United States and was ordered five years of supervised release after his prison term, Valadez will be under supervised release for three years after serving his term. According to a statement from the Department of Justice, Valadez committed acts of judicial malpractice by assisting a drug courier to possibly be released on his own recognizance and admitting to using his position to influence the bond for one of his worker's arrested by law enforcement.

“As an elected official in Starr County, a judge none the less, Valadez swore an oath to uphold the law," said Hamdani, "However, he betrayed his oath of office and the citizens of Starr County when he abused his office to assist and protect a local drug-trafficking organization." The case, resulting from investigations by the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS Criminal Investigations, shines a light on the collaborative efforts of multiple agencies in tackling high-level drug trafficking.

The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) focuses on identifying and dismantling top-tier drug traffickers and criminal organizations that pose a threat to the United States with Reyes-Roiz now awaiting transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility and Valadez granted the privilege to voluntarily surrender at a later date, there underline the gravity of their crimes and the legal system's intent to punish corruption and criminal acts, irrespective of the offenders' positions. In a related development, another key figure in the drug trafficking ring, Ignacio Garza, 53, of Rio Grande City, has also pleaded guilty and faces a potential life sentence during his September 5 sentencing.