A Texas border town mayor is under arrest accused of drug trafficking charges.
Progreso Mayor Gerardo Alanis appeared in Brownsville Federal Court on Tuesday morning wearing handcuffs and a chain around his waist after being arrested by federal agents Monday.
Alanis is charged alongside his brother, Francisco Alanis, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
The siblings are accused of being part of a cocaine trafficking ring that was operating from January 2020 to March 2022.
They possessed a total of more than 64 kilos of cocaine on several occasions, according to an indictment.
Francisco Alanis was arrested in October on similar charges and pleaded not guilty.
A third person being charged in the case has already pleaded guilty, KRGV-TV reported.
The investigation was launched when a school bus driver was caught with more than 30 pounds of cocaine.
Attorney O. Rene Flores represents Jerry Alanis. He declined to comment after Tuesday's hearing, KDBC-TV reported.
If convicted, the could face a minimum 10-year federal prison term fines of up to $10 million.
