Dozens arrested on various drug trafficking, gambling, prostitution charges in West Texas

LEVELLAND — Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have arrested dozens of people across multiple South Plains counties in a series of operations that began Wednesday morning, officials announced Wednesday afternoon.

At least 24 people were arrested Wednesday on state and federal charges including drug trafficking, illegal gambling, prostitution, illegal weapons and conspiracy, law enforcement officials said. Approximately 150 personnel from the Hockley County Sheriff's Office, Levelland Police Department, Cochran County Sheriff's Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and FBI conducted the operations.

In Hockley County, police raided seven illegal game rooms — five in Levelland, one in Anton and one in Opdyke West — leading to the arrest of 11 individuals on gambling, drug and prostitution charges. One person was also arrested for a parole violation. Officials said additional charges are pending, including for organized crime and financial crimes.

Thirteen people were arrested in additional, large-scale federal operations in Levelland, Morton and Brownfield in support of federal indictments relating to methamphetamine and weapons trafficking charges, according to the FBI.

"This has been a year in the making," Hockley County Sheriff Ray Scifres said in a news conference Wednesday afternoon in Levelland. "I know folks would ask the question, 'What are we doing about the game rooms?' Well, we've been for the last year working on these game rooms, and then today finally arrived."

Scifres said these game rooms have historically been a magnet for criminal activity.

"We've been saying that these are a safe haven … for folks who engage in criminal activity, and it ranges from narcotics trafficking, narcotics possession, weapons trafficking, weapons possession," Scifres said. "So the importance of it is not just the gambling operations; it's what it allows. It's what actually is drawn to those locations, and I think that's what we disrupted today."

Jim Dwyer, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Dallas Field Office, said the agency's Wednesday arrests are in support of a November indictment.

"While much of the community slept this morning, the FBI and our law enforcement partners executed 13 arrests related to our operation," Dwyer said. "A total of 18 defendants are charged with an array of federal crimes, including distribution of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of weapons and conspiracy. Most of the federal subjects also have pending state charges. I'll note that the subjects I mentioned here are in addition to the game room subjects that the sheriff mentioned earlier."

"We're sending a loud and clear message to criminals that we will continue to exercise our collective strength to protect the communities that we serve," Dwyer said.

Nearly a dozen people were recently federally charged in connection with an investigation into a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking ring. It was not immediately clear if these charges are related to the operations in Hockley and surrounding counties.

A federal grand jury on Nov. 9 returned a true bill on a 16-count indictment against Bobby Joe Gonzales, Rance Devin Jordan, Michael Salazar, Timothy John Perez, Judy Cirillo Qualls, Anthony Raven Ruiz A.K.A. "Acid", Jose Angel Marquez, Juan Luis Quezada, Ernest Michael Chavez, Jennifer Dianne Clem and Jason Wade Grant.

The charges are as follows:

• Bobby Joe Gonzales: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual); Distribution and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual); Distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual); Possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual)
• Rance Devin Jordan: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Distribution and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual); Distribution and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual)
• Michael Salazar: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual); Possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual)
• Timothy John Perez: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
• Judy Cirillo Qualls: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Convicted felon in possession of a firearm; Possession with intent to distribute five gram or more of methamphetamine (actual)
• Anthony Raven Ruiz A.K.A. "Acid": Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Distribution and possession with intent to distribute five gram or more of methamphetamine (actual); Possession with intent to distribute five gram or more of methamphetamine (actual)
• Jose Angel Marquez: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual)
• Juan Luis Quezada: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual); Possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual); Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
• Ernest Michael Chavez: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual)
• Jennifer Dianne Clem: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Distribution and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual)
• Jason Wade Grant: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Distribution and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual)

Court records show Perez, Ruiz, Marquez, Chavez, Clem, and Grant were arrested Wednesday and were booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center. Jail records state Chavez, Clem, Perez and Ruiz were arrested in Levelland, Grant was arrested in Morton and Marquez was arrested in Cochran County.

They are set to appear Friday for an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.