JIM WELLS COUNTY, Texas — Nineteen people are charged in a federal drug conspiracy indictment made public this week, after DEA agents and Jim Wells County deputies raided homes in the Rancho Alegre community outside Alice on Tuesday, according to court records obtained by KRIS 6 News.
See our previous coverage of this story in the video player above.
A federal grand jury in the Corpus Christi Division returned the indictment under seal on Sept. 9, nearly two weeks before the raids. One defendant's name is blacked out in the public copy.
The indictment contains two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance:
- Count one: More than 5 kilograms of cocaine, from about March 1, 2024, to June 20, 2026.
- Count two: More than 280 grams of cocaine base, from about Feb. 25, 2026, to June 20, 2026.
If convicted as charged, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison, plus fines of up to $10 million. The minimum rises to 15 years for someone with a prior serious drug or violent felony conviction.
Prosecutors are also seeking forfeiture of a home in the 1500 block of Elvira St. in Alice, along with any other property tied to the alleged offenses.
In a news release Wednesday, Jim Wells County Sheriff Joseph "Guy" Baker said the operation targeted what his office calls the Villagran-Sanchez Drug Trafficking Organization. He said the joint investigation began in June 2025.
The indictment names the following people, listed with the nicknames prosecutors included:
- Joel Sanchez
- David Villagran Jr., also known as "Little Tinko" and "Baby Tinko"
- Rene Villagran, also known as "Chucho"
- David Villagran Sr., also known as "Big Tinko"
- Jose Romeo Sanchez, also known as "Baby Joe." He told the court his true name is Jose Romeo Sanchez III.
- Esteban Mata
- Matthew Cantu, also known as "Fat Matt"
- Sierra Watrin
- Jewel Watrin
- Joshua Rios
- Esiquio Juarez, also known as "Zeke"
- Richard Garza, also known as "Blackie"
- Jake Rangel
- Sierra Rodriguez
- Joel Flores
- David Cantu, also known as "Pamfi"
- Lucia Gonzalez
- Cindy Gutierrez
Most of the defendants made their first court appearances by video Wednesday. Each asked for and received a court-appointed attorney.
Prosecutors asked the court to keep most of those defendants in jail until trial and requested more time before the detention hearings. The judge granted those delays
Arraignments and detention hearings are scheduled through Oct. 1.
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