Judge sets bond at $100,000 for Progreso businessman charged in drug case

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A judge on Monday set bond at $100,000 for a businessman charged with smuggling cocaine through South Texas.

Pedro Luis Lopez, 55, of Progreso is accused of participating in a conspiracy that involved 194 pounds of cocaine.

During a hearing on Monday morning, U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker set bond at $100,000. Lopez must post a $10,000 cash deposit.

Neither the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra Andrade, nor Lopez’s attorney, Oscar Vega of McAllen, objected to the bond or the proposed conditions, which may include GPS monitoring.

Lopez is well known in Progreso, where his family owns the 1015 Grocery Store, the El Dorado Event Center and several transportation businesses, including PLL Logistics.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Lopez; his brother, Jose Gabriel Lopez-Garcia; and his cousin, Daniel Sanchez-Benavidez, on June 13.

They’re charged with participating in a conspiracy that started in January 2019 and involved at least 5 kilograms — about 11 pounds — of cocaine. The indictment also links them to 194 pounds of cocaine seized in November 2022.

Lopez, his brother and his cousin pleaded not guilty. They’re tentatively scheduled for trial in August.