In a recent announcement, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani revealed that Francisco Alanis, a 40-year-old assistant city manager and school board president, is now in custody on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Alanis, also known as Frank Javier Alanis, was arrested by authorities and is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya on October 16 at 9 a.m. The arrest follows a three-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on October 3.

According to the indictment, Alanis allegedly conspired with Jose Rosbel Salas and others to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, primarily cocaine, from January 2020 to March 20, 2022.

If convicted, Alanis could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in federal prison, along with a possible maximum fine of $10 million. The indictment also includes a notice of forfeiture related to the charges.

Jose Rosbel Salas, 42, from Weslaco, has already pleaded guilty for his involvement and is currently awaiting sentencing. Additionally, David Gomez Ramos, 34, and Gregorio Salinas, 52, both from Mercedes, as well as Juan Pablo Serrata, 48, from Santa Rosa, have also been charged in connection with the case. They are currently in custody awaiting further criminal proceedings.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force, Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra Andrade is prosecuting the case.   

The investigation is part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces which identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.