LAREDO, Texas (AP) _ The Texas Department of Public Safety is searching for the driver of a fake school bus loaded with more than 5,000 pounds of marijuana, estimated to be worth more than $1.7 million.
A statement Monday from DPS says a trooper stopped a school bus on U.S. 59 north of Laredo Saturday that had been marked to look like a United Independent School District bus. The bus had 5,408 pounds of marijuana.
The driver fled on foot.
A College Station woman is thankful to be alive after a bullet pierced her bedroom wall. The bullet came through the wall of an adjacent unit of a four-plex home in the 2400 block of Blanco Drive. It then passed through the headboard and the mattress. Arrest records state “it is clear the projectile could have caused serious bodily injury or death if the residents had been in their bed at the time the firearm was discharged.” Thankfully, no one was in the bed at the time. CSPD received the call around 9:00pm Friday night. The caller reported that her neighbor discharged a firearm and that the neighbor had come over to check to see if anyone was injured. Police arrested 28-year-old Charnesha Danielle Byrd and charged her with Reckless Discharge of a Firearm Within a Municipality of 100,000 or More People. Byrd claims she was rummaging through her purse and picked the firearm up with her finger on the trigger. Police seized a Ruger .380 from her purse. Byrd is free on $5,000 bond. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.
A woman and her caretaker were arrested after a shoplifting incident at the Bryan Walmart. Bryan Police Department responded to the Walmart at 2200 Briarcrest Drive around 3:30pm on Friday for reports of a theft in progress. Employees observed a woman concealing items in her purse while another appeared to be serving as her lookout. BPD confirmed via video surveillance that 68-year-old Sandra Jean Lawson placed $116.67 worth of items in her purse as she rode through the store on a scooter. She did not attempt to pay for the items while at the self-checkout. 60-year-old Dawn Anders Recek, who Lawson claims is her caretaker, was shown on video peeking around aisles, assisting Lawson in the theft. The pair were seen checking out near each other and leaving the store together. Lawson and Recek were charged with Theft between $100-$750. Each have been released on $3,000 bond. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.
(HOUSTON, TX) – Three fugitive leaders of the foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA), designated by the Trump Administration last year, are charged in the Southern District of Texas and now have rewards totaling up to $50 million for information leading to their arrests and/or convictions. Yohan José Romero a/k/a Yohan Petrica, 48; Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano a/k/a El Viejo, 37; and Juan Gabriel Rivas Núñez a/k/a Juancho, 44, were previously charged in a six-count second superseding indictment returned in 2025. A nine-count third superseding indictment followed in July 2026. According to the allegations, all three face charges of conspiring to provide and providing material support to Tren de Aragua (TdA). Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List and also faces charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and international cocaine distribution. “Since President Trump returned to office, the Department of Justice has charged more than 350 members and associates of Tren de Aragua, including Yohan Petrica, El Viejo, and Juancho,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their criminal enterprise has spread fear, violence, and lawlessness, and we will not stop until those responsible are brought to justice. Anyone with information regarding the location of the three individuals listed in today’s superseding indictment should help save lives by notifying the FBI.” “These gang members are monsters, and we’ve indicted them as such,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. “I’m confident the enhanced bounties will incentivize these terrorists’ return to my district, where we will bring them to justice.” “By leveraging DEA’s investigative expertise alongside our partners through the Homeland Security Task Force, we are bringing the full force of the U.S. government to bear against narco-terrorists that threaten our communities. Today’s announcement demonstrates what can be achieved through unprecedented coordination and intelligence sharing across federal law enforcement,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “Yohan José Romero, Mosquera Serrano, and Rivas Núñez have played key roles in directing and expanding Tren de Aragua’s operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. TdA spreads violence, fear, and instability wherever it operates. Make no mistake – DEA will stop at nothing to identify, disrupt, and dismantle this criminal network.” “There’s a reason Giovanni Mosquera Serrano is one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives. He, along with “Petrica,” “Juancho,” and their foreign terror organization, are accused of a long list of crimes that include murders, kidnappings, drug and sex trafficking, and illegal gold mining operations that help finance TdA’s terrorist activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson of the FBI Houston Field Office. “TdA’s criminal activity spills into streets and communities across the U.S., including Houston. We hope today’s multimillion-dollar rewards motivate someone, anywhere, to say, ‘enough is enough’ and lead us to one or all three fugitives. The arm of the law is long, and no border will shield them from American justice.” “As Secretary Rubio has repeatedly stated, transnational criminal and terrorist organizations such as Tren de Aragua are the most urgent security threat in our hemisphere,” said Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas G. DiNanno. “Today, we are offering rewards totaling up to $50 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of the top three leaders of Tren de Aragua. The Trump Administration remains fully committed to eliminating narcoterrorist organizations in the region that traffic illicit drugs, commit violent acts, and cause harm to American communities.” The Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is offering the rewards through its Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program for information leading to arrests or convictions of the three fugitives in any country. The reward for information leading to Romero’s arrest or conviction increased from $4 million to $20 million, while the reward for Serrano has increased to $15 million from $5 million. A new reward of up to $15 million is also being offered for information regarding Núñez. According to court documents, TdA originated as a Venezuelan prison gang in the mid-2000s and has since expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the United States. The organization engages in drug and firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. Members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to further its criminal activities, according to the charges. TdA also allegedly generated revenue through financial crimes targeting financial institutions, including ATM jackpotting schemes used to steal millions of dollars. The investigation revealed the conspiracy targeted or carried out ATM jackpotting attacks in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and several foreign countries, according to the allegations. If you have any information concerning these individuals, please contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at +1-281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith and Trial Attorneys James Keller and Kelly McGann of Joint Task Force Vulcan. This case is part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and Districts of Nevada and Arizona as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Criminal Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons; FBI; DEA; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; USMS and Homeland Security Task Forces are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. This case is part […]
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