Progreso Ex-Mayor Gets 46 Months for Cocaine Scheme

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – In a grim turn of events for the city of Progreso, former mayor Gerardo Alanis has been sentenced to federal prison following his conviction on cocaine conspiracy charges. The U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the sentence.

Alanis, who pleaded guilty on February 25, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. to serve 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. A fine of $15,000 was also imposed.

The court heard evidence detailing the use of a school building as a storage and re-packaging site for cocaine. The judge highlighted the destruction caused by dangerous drugs on both sides of the border and cited the misuse of school property as an aggravating factor in determining Alanis’s sentence.

Ganjei emphasized the impact of drug trafficking on communities, stating, “It is unthinkable that a public official would allow a school to be used for such a heinous act.” The Southern District of Texas remains committed to eliminating drug trafficking organizations within its jurisdiction.

The investigation revealed that from 2020 to 2022, conspirators smuggled kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. from Mexico and re-packaged it in hidden compartments of 18-wheelers. They then transported it to states such as Illinois, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Several co-conspirators have already been sentenced for their roles.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt and former AUSA Alejandra Andrade prosecuted the case, which is part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving ICE-HSI, DEA, BPA, Texas DPS, and Texas Rangers.