2 Pflugerville Men Arrested In International Drug Ring Bust

NORTH AUSTIN, TX — Numerous suspects, including two Pflugerville men, were arrested Wednesday for participating in what law enforcement categorized as an international drug ring operating out of a North Austin auto service shop drug front.

Officials said the arrests of 18 people at the J and J Auto Service shop on Motheral Drive near North Lamar Boulevard were the culmination of a year-long federal investigation among various federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including: the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Austin Police Department; Internal Revenue Service; Texas Department of Public Safety; Hays County Sheriff’s Office; and the Cedar Park Police Department.

In a press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas said the ring smuggled cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine were smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. All told, 18 people were arrested based on federal drug trafficking indictments returned in Austin, officials said.

A federal grand jury indictment unsealed Wednesday charges the defendants, and ten other individuals who were already in custody prior to today, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, officials said. Count one involves methamphetamine, count two involves cocaine and count three involves heroin, officials said. Count four of the indictment is a money laundering charge, officials added.

The two Pflugerville men arrested as part of the sting are Anthony Taylor, 45, and Gerardo Arroyo, 29. Police provided their booking photos after the drug bust (see above).

Federal officials identified Luis Villagrana of Leander, Texas, and Carlos Garcia-Duarte of Dale, Texas, as the leaders of distribution cells operating in Austin. Both are now facing life terms if convicted. Authorities allege that members of the organization utilized a local mechanic’s shop to unload, distribute, and ship drugs to sales and distribution points in Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Minnesota, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

Officials seized about 148 pounds of crystal meth, some 56 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, 62 pounds of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin and $400,000 in U.S. currency, according to the press advisory.

Upon conviction, the defendants face sentences of between five and 40 years in federal prison or up to life in federal prison depending on the amount of controlled substances involved, officials said. Additionally, defendants face up to 20 years imprisonment upon conviction for money laundering, authorities added.

Among the agencies investigation the case were: DEA, Austin Resident Office; FBI Austin; IRS-Criminal

Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; Austin Police Department; Hays County Sheriff’s

Office; and the Cedar Park Police Department.

Agencies providing assistance during the investigation included: Round Rock Police Department; Georgetown Police Department; Lakeway Police Department; Williamson County Sheriff’s Office; Travis County Sheriff’s Office; Rockwall Police Department; Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office; Travis County District Attorney’s Office; Bell County District Attorney’s Office; Williamson County District Attorney’s Office, Bastrop County District Attorney’s Office, DEA (McAllen, Milwaukee Field Office, Brownsville, Eagle Pass, Dallas Division, Houston Division and Houston SRT); FBI (McAllen); Homeland Security Investigations (Austin); U.S. Border Patrol (Del Rio Sector) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The complete list of defendants appears below:

Name/Age/Resident/Counts/Statutory maximum penalty

Luis Villagrana/32/Leander/1 - 4/ life imprisonment

Furqan Rashid Sunka/34/Austin/2, 4/life imprisonment

Lauro Toledo/30/Austin/2/life imprisonment

* Blanca Davila-Puente/35/Mission/2, 4/life imprisonment

* Silvia Cerda-Gonzalez/49/Michoacán, Mexico/2, 3, 4/life imprisonment

* Daniel Hernandez/30/Austin/2, 4/life imprisonment

* Anthony Taylor/45/Pflugerville/2/40 years imprisonment

* Victor Vargas-Osorio/25/Austin/2/40 years imprisonment

Juan Vasquez/69/Brownsville/2/life imprisonment

Maria Del Pilar Barcenas/47/Brownsville/2/life imprisonment

Lauro Jaimes/32/Llano/1/life imprisonment

* Rigoberto Vences Bautista/39/Austin/2/life imprisonment

Martin Benitez/38/Austin/2/life imprisonment

* Francisco Gonzalez/30/Mission/2/40 years imprisonment

Esperanza Gerardo/40/Mission/2/life imprisonment

Albert Villagrana/19/Leander/2, 4/life imprisonment

Jesus Ocampo/33/Austin/2, 4/40 years imprisonment

Mike Vertacnik/30/Austin/2/life imprisonment

* Marques Taylor Nunley/27/Austin/2/40 years imprisonment

Rebecca Anaya/26/Austin/2, 3/40 years imprisonment

Claudia Lara-Escalante/26/Houston/4/20 years imprisonment

Leovigildo Martinez/27/Austin/2, 3/life imprisonment

Carlos Garcia-Duarte/40/Dale/1, 2, 3/life imprisonment

* Arturo Juarez-Osorio/36/Austin/2/life imprisonment

* Eduardo Flores-Parra/27/Austin/1, 2/life imprisonment

Rafael Garcia-Duarte/27/Dale/1/life imprisonment

Jose DeJesus Gonzalez/ 27/Austin/1, 2/life imprisonment

Gerardo Arroyo/29/Pflugerville/2/40 years imprisonment

* Already in custody prior to Wednesday's bust

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