Edcouch politician’s brother pleads not guilty in drug trafficking case

McALLEN, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — A local politician’s brother pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges on Friday.

Ruben Aris Flores Jr., 49, of Edcouch is accused of participating in a conspiracy that involved about 78 pounds of cocaine.

“As of now, he’s the only one arrested,” said attorney Sergio J. Sanchez of McAllen, who represents Flores. “But, as we can all imagine, a case of this magnitude can’t exist on its own. And so it’s more than reasonable to expect that it would be expanded.”

Ruben isn’t the first member of the Flores family to find himself under federal indictment.

The FBI arrested his brother, Edcouch Mayor Pro-Tem Rene Flores, in September. Rene is accused of soliciting kickbacks from a marketing company.

“Yes, they are brothers,” Sanchez said, but the cases against them are “completely unrelated.”

Investigators with a regional anti-drug task force arrested Ruben Flores in January 2023, when they caught him with about 78 pounds of cocaine, according to an affidavit filed in a civil forfeiture case.

On Jan. 26, 2023, the investigators watched a tractor-trailer pick up a produce shipment from a warehouse in Mission.

Flores left the warehouse in a 2012 Kenworth T660, a type of commercial truck.

Investigators arranged for the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office to stop the truck in Weslaco. During the traffic stop, a K-9 smelled something suspicious.

Flores said the dog probably alerted “because the mechanic shop he has his tractor in, the employees smoke marijuana,” according to the affidavit. He assured the investigators they wouldn’t find any drugs.

The investigators didn’t buy it.

They moved the Kenworth T660 to a building owned by Weslaco Public Works for a thorough search.

Flores said “he was going to get a ride,” according to the affidavit, and left the area.

Investigators spent hours searching the Kenworth T660.

At roughly 11:30 p.m., five hours after they stopped Flores, investigators discovered a hidden compartment in a wall on the driver’s side of the truck.

“A drill was utilized to puncture the aftermarket compartment,” according to the affidavit, “and on the tip of the drill Investigators were able to see a white powdery substance.”

They pulled 30 packages from the hidden compartment. The packages, which weighed about 78 pounds, tested positive for cocaine.

Investigators arrested Flores on Jan. 27, 2023, and booked him at the Hidalgo County jail. Flores posted bond less than three days later.

In 2024, federal prosecutors took the case to a grand jury, which indicted Flores on drug trafficking charges.

Flores appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano on Friday morning for arraignment.

“Not guilty,” Flores said.

Medrano set bond at $75,000 with a $7,500 cash deposit. If he posts bond, Flores must submit to GPS monitoring and home detention.

Flores is scheduled for a pretrial hearing in November. If convicted, he faces 10 years to life in federal prison.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KVEO-TV.