Victor Canales, Public Corruption, Texas 2023

Victor Canales, a 49-year-old Rio Grande City man, has been arrested on charges of public corruption, federal programs theft, and Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Canales, the former county attorney for Starr County, Texas, is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano at 9 a.m. Monday, April 10.

A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment against Canales on April 5, which was unsealed today upon his arrest. The indictment alleges that Canales embezzled property worth at least $5,000 in each of the years 2018-2021, while serving as county attorney.

Canales also allegedly used his position to collect fines and fees, and to choose whether or not to prosecute certain offenses, according to the charges. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Canales knowingly obstructed and affected commerce by extortion, and used a facility in interstate and foreign commerce to carry on unlawful activity.

Canales is charged with one count of Travel Act violations, which carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison, upon conviction. He also faces a maximum of 10 years on each of four counts of federal programs theft, and up to 20 years on each conviction of Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right.

The maximum fine for each charge is $250,000. The FBI worked in partnership with the Texas Office of the Attorney General to conduct the Border Corruption Task Force investigation, with the assistance of OCDETF Operation Ice River agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety – Texas Rangers and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Cook Profit is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

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