SAN ANTONIO – Nearly three months after they were arrested in a sweep of suspected Texas Mexican Mafia members accused of dealing drugs in Seguin and New Braunfels, three of the eleven men have decided to plead guilty.
Jeffrey "Guero" Sarabia pleaded guilty to selling methamphetamine. Adrian "Lil A" Barbosa and Carlos Rios were expected to plead guilty to selling heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.
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They were arrested in April on federal drug charges.
A federal indictment alleges the trio were among a group of suspected Texas Mexican Mafia members who used its members "through typical street sales and through the maintaining of 'drug houses' where customers may purchase drugs."
It also alleges the gang charges a "drug tax" to non-members selling drugs on their behalf.
Sarabia is due in court in September for sentencing.
The remaining co-defendants face a superseding indictment that accuses them of extorting drug dealers by "requiring drug traffickers to pay the extortion tax to members of the Texas Mexican Mafia or face assault, robbery, or murder; using violence in all forms and degrees to enforce the Texas Mexican Mafia requirement that all drug distributors pay the tax in exchange for permission granted by members of the Texas Mexican Mafia to distribute narcotics."
The indictment says the money was handed over to Joey "Wheel Chair" Mertz Gonzales who distributed it to members of the gang.
The following suspects are scheduled to be arraigned on the new indictment July 18:
- Eddie Flores, AKA "Lil E"
- David Phillip Urdiales, AKA "Termite"
- Cruz Carlos Acosta
- John Gary Ortiz, AKA "Big John"
- Christopher James Davila, AKA "Luck"
- Noel Arce
- Mario Albert Leal, Jr., AKA "Lil Man"
- Nicholas Rodriguez, AKA "Baby Nick"