Judge says Progreso mayor is a danger to the community, should remain in jail

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS (ValleyCentral) — Progreso Mayor Gerardo “Jerry” Alanis is a danger to the community, a judge ruled Thursday, and should remain in jail until the drug charges against him are resolved.

During a hearing on Thursday afternoon, a federal agent testified that Jerry Alanis participated in a scheme to store drugs at Dorothy Thompson Middle School in Progreso. Agents also searched a home owned by the mayor’s mother, where they found more than $722,000 in cash.

“I will not grant a bond,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Betancourt said Thursday after a hearing that lasted more than an hour.

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations, which is part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arrested Alanis, 31, of Progreso on Monday.

The criminal case, however, started in August 2020, when Border Patrol caught Joe Rosbel Salas Jr., 42, of Progreso with about 30 pounds of cocaine.

Salas had worked for the Progreso Independent School District, where he was a bus driver and maintenance man. After his arrest, Salas pleaded guilty and cooperated with the government.

In October 2023, more than three years after the first drug bust, Homeland Security Investigations arrested Jerry’s brother, Francisco “Frank” Alanis.

The arrest sent shockwaves through Progreso, where the Alanis family is a political powerhouse.

Frank Alanis serves on the Progreso school board and works for the city of Progreso, where he is a top administrator.

Jerry Alanis serves as mayor of Progreso and works for Progreso ISD, where he coaches the boys soccer team.

A third brother — Alejandro “Alex” Alanis, who isn’t accused of any wrongdoing — also serves on the Progreso school board.

The indictment linked Frank Alanis to several people accused of smuggling cocaine from Brownsville to Houston, including the former Progreso ISD bus driver.

While the arrest made headlines, the Alanis family remained firmly in control of Progreso.

Signs that Jerry Alanis could be part of the conspiracy surfaced after his brother’s arrest.

The government asked Progreso ISD for security camera video from the building where Jerry Alanis worked. A judge also instructed Frank Alanis not to speak with Jerry Alanis, Progreso police Chief Cesar Solis and Progreso school board President Juan J. Ramos Jr.

That restriction is usually reserved for witnesses, victims and co-conspirators.

Homeland Security Investigations arrested Jerry Alanis on Monday. He’s charged with participating in a conspiracy that involved more than 88 pounds of cocaine.

After three days in federal custody, Alanis appeared in court Thursday wearing an orange jail uniform and silver handcuffs.

A report prepared by U.S. Pretrial Services recommended the court set bond at $100,000 with a $10,000 cash deposit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra Andrade, though, argued that Alanis should remain in jail.

Jerry Alanis and Frank Alanis “act with impunity” in Progreso, where they wield significant power and influence, Andrade said, adding that prosecutors are concerned Jerry Alanis might intimidate witnesses.

“The influence and power they have” at City Hall and Progreso ISD, Andrade said, “creates a danger to the community.”

To make her case, Andrade asked U.S. Border Patrol Agent Pablo Barrera to summarize the investigation.

Barrera said informants told the government that Jerry Alanis stored and packaged drugs in a locked room at Dorothy Thompson Middle School.

In October, when they arrested Frank Alanis, agents searched the school. They didn’t find any drugs, but they did find vacuum-seal bags that smugglers use to store drugs, Barrera said. They also found boxes that matched a description provided by an informant.

“We are currently reviewing the information presented and will maintain our full cooperation with law enforcement agencies,” Progreso ISD Superintendent Sergio Coronado said in a statement. “The district remains committed to ensuring a safe and supportive educational environment for our students. The welfare of the students we serve remains our paramount goal.”

Agents also searched a home owned by Maria De La Luz Alanis, the mother of Frank Alanis and Jerry Alanis.

During the search, they found three black safes, Barrera said, which had been hidden outside.

One safe was found in a washing machine. Another was found under a fiberglass cover for a truck bed. A third safe was found in a shed.

The safes contained more than $722,000 in cash, Barrera said, and documents that named Frank Alanis, Jerry Alanis and other people connected to the case.

Maria Alanis said the safes belonged to Frank Alanis, according to Barrera, and Jerry Alanis also had access to them.

Attorney O. Rene Flores of Edinburg, who represents Jerry Alanis, said his client didn’t pose a danger to the community and wasn’t a flight risk.

“If he wanted to, he could have left the country,” Flores said. “But he didn’t.”

Betancourt, the federal judge, wasn’t convinced. She ordered Jerry Alanis held without bond.

Alanis is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess more than 5 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute and two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.