The leader of a Rio Grande Valley family business which federal prosecutors say headed the cocaine smuggling operations in south Texas for the lat 17 years has been convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering in federal court in San Antonio, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Reymundo Villarreal-Arelis, 45, known as Mundo, faces up to life in prison.
Federal prosecutors called the family Villarreal-Arelis headed, known as 'Los Piojos' or 'the lice,' 'the UPS of drug trafficking,' alleging that they maintained the drug trafficking routes in northern Mexico across from McAllen, and smuggled thousands of pounds of cocaine supplied by the Gulf Cartel and its successor, Los Zetas.
The group, consisting mainly of Villarreal-Arelis and 11 of his family members, smuggled drugs not just to San Antonio and Houston, but as far away as New York and Chicago.
Their operations netted Los Piojos millions of dollars in profits, which they laundered by buying more than 50 race horses.
In addition to the horses, in the operation that rounded up Los Piojos, federal agents also seized 280 kilograms of cocaine valued between $15 and $10 million, numerous residences in the Rio Grande Valley, and even a Mission shopping center allegedly bought to launder drug money.
The investigation resulted in 14 Los Piojos members pleading guilty and awaiting sentencing.