Businessman who smuggled drugs through Progreso sentenced to 10 years in prison

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A businessman who smuggled drugs through Progreso was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday.

During a hearing on Tuesday morning, a judge sentenced Pedro Luis Lopez, 56, of Progreso to 10 years in federal prison.

“He was very remorseful,” said attorney Oscar Vega of McAllen, who represented Lopez. “He apologized for his actions.”

Lopez is well known in Progreso, where his family owns the 1015 Grocery Store and the El Dorado Event Center.

He also smuggled marijuana and cocaine through Progreso for more than a decade.

In November 2013, the Texas Department of Public Safety followed a red tractor-trailer to a warehouse south of Progreso.

The driver picked up a shipment of blackberries and headed to a nearby gas station, according to a report the Department of Public Safety released under the Texas Public Information Act. Lopez paid for the gas.

Minutes later, a state trooper stopped the driver on Farm-to-Market Road 1015. Agents discovered about 1,100 pounds of marijuana hidden between the boxes of blackberries.

Lopez confessed to coordinating the drug shipment.

A grand jury charged him with possession of marijuana, a second-degree felony.

Lopez pleaded guilty but received deferred adjudication, which allowed him to avoid a conviction.

In 2016, another tractor-trailer left the warehouse carrying a shipment of cabbage — and more than 600 pounds of marijuana.

“The day before the traffic stop and search, law enforcement had observed the tractor-trailer at a motel along with a vehicle registered to Lopez,” according to a civil forfeiture complaint the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas filed in 2019.

Lopez supervised four or five people who loaded the marijuana, according to a drug smuggler who cooperated with the government. The smuggler, who the government identified as “Cooperator One” said he worked with Lopez from 2012 to 2016.

“The Cooperator stated he was directly involved with Lopez in the movement of approximately 6,000 to 7,000 pounds of marijuana over three years,” according to the motion.

With permission from a judge, the government seized the warehouse in July 2020. Lopez, meanwhile, kept smuggling drugs.

In November 2022, agents stopped a tractor-trailer at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias.

The driver, Faustino Perez Luna, had a “shaky hand,” according to the criminal complaint against him, and started breathing heavily.

When they searched the tractor-trailer, agents discovered 40 packages of cocaine hidden in pallets of produce.

Perez pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge and received a nearly six-year prison sentence.

The investigation didn’t stop with Perez.

A white Ford Ranger registered to Lopez had followed Perez through the checkpoint that day.

Records showed the Ford Ranger also followed the tractor-trailer through the checkpoint on five prior occasions, according to an affidavit filed in a civil forfeiture case.

Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration questioned Perez about the cocaine in April 2024.

During the interview, Perez said that Lopez paid him to transport drugs.

Prosecutors charged six people, including Lopez, his brother and a candidate for Progreso City Council, with participating in the conspiracy. All six pleaded guilty.

Lopez returned to court Tuesday for sentencing. Dressed in a light blue shirt and jeans, he apologized to his family.

“Sorry you got involved in this,” said Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane. “Hopefully the family can keep the businesses going to support themselves while you’re away.”

Crane said guidelines published by the U.S. Sentencing Commission suggested 188 to 235 months in prison.

Lopez, however, had cooperated with the government after his arrest.

Crane granted a sealed motion and sentenced Lopez to 120 months in prison followed by three years on supervised release.

Vega, the attorney who represented Lopez, said his client stopped transporting drugs years ago.

“He ended it. He thought he was done with it,” Vega said. “But evidently not. The feds caught up with him. And now he’s going to do a little bit of time.”