Authorities issued a warrant Thursday for the arrest of state Rep. Poncho Nevárez, an Eagle Pass Democrat, on felony drug possession charges. A state special investigator claims in the warrant, which was obtained by The Texas Tribune, that Nevárez was caught on surveillance footage in September dropping an envelope with cocaine as he was leaving the Austin airport.
Neither Nevárez’s office nor the Travis County District Attorney’s Office immediately responded to a request for comment.
Thursday’s news came hours after an affidavit detailing the allegations, filed Oct. 29 in Travis County court by the Texas Department of Public Safety, was revealed and later obtained by the Tribune and other news outlets. The affidavit was attached to a warrant seeking to conduct a test to determine whether Nevárez’s DNA was on the envelope. The document says that the envelope had Nevárez’s official House seal and held “four small clear baggies” containing a substance found to include cocaine.
Nevárez, who chairs the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, announced last week he was retiring from the lower chamber. And in a statement to the Tribune on Thursday morning before the warrant was issued, Nevárez confirmed that the “news is true” — and that the events detailed in the affidavit prompted his decision to not seek reelection.
"I do not have anyone to blame but myself," he said, noting that he plans to seek treatment. "I accept this because it is true and it will help me get better.”
The events leading to an arrest warrant for Nevárez began Sept. 6, according to the affidavit, when two Texas Department of Transportation employees found the envelope outside the entrance to an area of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport used by traveling state officials. DPS was called, and investigators reviewed surveillance tape showing Nevárez exiting the airport, getting into the front passenger seat of a black SUV owned by his chief of staff and "dropping a white paper object," the affidavit says.
The affidavit states that DPS immediately took custody of the contents left behind by Nevárez. Lab results indicated that the white powdery substance tested positive for cocaine. The total net weight, according to the affidavit, was roughly 2 grams.
"Through training and experience, I have learned that individuals involved in the possession of narcotics would like to remain discreet and typically conceal the narcotics as best they can," wrote Special Agent Otto Cabrera. "Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that [Nevárez], using his own letterhead envelope, licked and sealed the envelope that contained the cocaine in order to keep it concealed."
The affidavit was posted online late Wednesday night by the conservative activist group Direct Action Texas, and the Tribune confirmed its contents Thursday morning. It came to light after two unexpected moves from Nevárez last week. On Nov. 6, he announced his office would deactivate its Facebook page but provided no reason for the move. Two days later, Nevárez announced he would not seek reelection in 2020, saying in a statement he "must heal up for the rest of what may come in my life” — potentially a nod to the events that happened roughly two months before.
Aside from chairing of the homeland security committee, Nevárez also serves as as vice chairman of a select committee that state leaders formed two months ago in response to the deadly shootings in El Paso and Odessa. He works as an attorney in Eagle Pass.
After Thursday's news, the Texas Democratic Party said in a statement that it's important for people with addiction to "access the help they need moving forward."
Nevárez "is taking responsibility and seeking the help he needs," the statement said. "We wish the best to him and his family."
The chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, echoed the sentiment, saying in a statement that "by not seeking reelection, [Nevárez] will be better able to focus his attention on his family and his health, which is where it should be."
Nevárez Affidavit
Poncho Nevarez Affidavit by Chivis Martinez on Scribd
warrant of arrest alfonso nevarez jr by Chivis Martinez on Scribd
This why we need to legalize Coke this would keep Politicos Honest. Good luck nevarez.
ReplyDeletethis is pretty sad, pobrecito deberian hacerles caso asus abuelitas plebes
Deleteel bro
It is truly serious that Carlos Martinez aka "El Cuate" Osiel Cardenas' son-in-law presumes that his father-in-law Yahaira Cardenas's father controls the ADX FLORENCE prison and has even beaten other inmates a few weeks ago, where the authorities are, just like in Mexico of bribes, even worse this guy lives here in Brownville.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know about controlling the prison but the Cárdenas clan still moves weight. But their plan is to go legit, money laundering in both Matamoros and Monterrey/San Pedro even in Brownsville!
DeleteThan believes in the tooth Fair
DeleteUm what?
DeleteThat is complete and utter nonsense adx is a supermax prison where the inmates are confined 24 hrs a day the food and showers are brought to the cells there is never any transfer of 2 inmates through any hallway or corridor at single time . There is no general population period and even if so osiel would be preyed by the US gangs and white supremacist groups. He has no power whatsoever here
Delete10:29 I think you are pretty close to right . I would bet there are some lower security trustees to do some work . Vetted and monitored very close . Probably black or white inmates . From my observation if one of those are even heard speaking spanish they get rolled . Call it what you want but thats what i have seen
DeleteDidnt O get moved out of adx? Perhaps ment other prison?
DeleteJust what kind of stupid dumbass assholes are in US politics?
ReplyDeleteStarting with sheriff Lupe Treviño and ending with this "congressman", there should be a study of corrupt Latinos in government positions in the US...they STEAL our credibility and good name.
Seriously!
DeleteA good portion of lawmakers and city officials use cocaine. Not just Mexican officials in US government. I personally know of former house representative who had a bad habit using. Yet despite certain claims by outsiders. He remained in office till he retired. From water reclamation directors to city inspectors. Even judges.
There is no discrimination as to who uses.
@6:21
DeleteUnfortunately the ones stupid sheep (people), elect the ones who don’t do shit and believe in affirmative action and redistribution.
Most Latinos/Hispanic/Mexican American/ Latinx, vote Democrat.
Queso
Im with you on that one buddy. A lot of good Latinos out there but these idiots really fucking it up.
DeleteThe issue with that is they do not represent only Latinos, they represent Americans. A study about corruption would be good, but not limited to something like ethnic background. Tbh most of US politics are stupid dumbass assholes, but so are the voters 🤷🏻♂️
Delete6:21 AM
DeleteStarting with sheriff Lupe Treviño and ending with this "congressman". No where near where it starts and ends . I would be seriously hard to track if you searched the net for corrupt Latino politicians . Very "incorrect" and would get you little search results .
Once he got caught, he admitted to using drugs. Hope he still serves time, treatment my azz, he is hooked big time.
ReplyDeleteServe time. As if that will make any difference. Look at how many people who serve under the US presidency have felonies!
DeleteIts interesting to see how the political powers of inequality differentiate from all others.
Ask yourself is this fair?
How many? 116. I’m sure this guy knows lawyers he will be fine and fined. What does the usa presidente have to do with anything?
DeleteHe admitted to “using drugs” quickly because there is something much bigger he is hoping is not uncovered. Only certain individuals/entities are allowed to taxi their airplane to a state/federal government hangar. And it should be no surprise that their is no custom/border patrol at that hangar to check the plane for contraband. And guess what, his flight DID NOT originate in Eagle Pass. It originated in Piedras Negras, Coahuila and flew straight to Austin Bergstrom International Airport and taxied straight to the State Government hangar. Never searched. Not then or the dozens of other times he flew right over the Customs checkpoints. His tail number is N11345. This is way way way more than a possession case. Unbeknownst to you, there is way way way more to this than you have reported. He is not the only one allowed to fly into these hangars doing this. He is not the only one flying from a border county, right over checkpoints and pulling right up to a government hangar which various illicit substances or flying south with the proceeds. The investigators on this one need to get off their ass and actually do their job. This cannot stand. Because if it does, our country and the values by which we stand and fight for mean absolutely nothing.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention guns going south by the F**kload (actual unit of measurement) Im sure its easier to believe teens driving assault weapons by the 2s and 3s over the border but really just between us the real guns are moved thru little ops like this . But we're not supposed to know this so keep it to yourself so they dont get suspicious ...
DeleteThe little envelopes were just the lab samples,
Deletetaken from the shitload following the aigroplano.
Thanks for the new measuring unit,
it is time somebody wakes up and smells the horse's ass.
-- important note, Money does not get trafficked back to mexico, most of it goes to the big banksters in US, China or Europe, they have been fined billions and billions for their money laundering, but some big fishes get away with it, like Deval Patrick of Bain "and co."
Ay caramba! The committee he was chairman of has jurisdiction over the department of public safety which for you non-texans is the state police and he was using the dps terminal. How embarrassing is that for dps?
ReplyDeleteWhat an idiot using his own letterhead envelope
ReplyDelete