HOUSTON—It was supposed to be what’s known in law enforcement circles as a "drug rip." Ambush a truck hauling marijuana from the Valley, and then steal the drugs—along with the truck—at gunpoint.
Police say Eric De Luna is the man who planned it all and recruited three others to help him pull it off. De Luna was visibly distressed as he was led into a Harris County courtroom Wednesday morning. A skull tattooed on his left arm as he stood before the judge, De Luna claimed he’d been beaten up by investigators. His face was clearly bruised.
"Eric De Luna was struck twice at the scene by law enforcement cars trying to stop the shooting," said prosecutor Terese Buess.
It all played out like a scene from a Hollywood script. The 18-wheeler, driven by a confidential informant working with undercover officers, was passing through northwest Harris County Monday afternoon when it was ambushed by three SUVs. The cab was sprayed with bullets, killing the driver. Prosecutors say Fernando Tavera admitted to pulling the trigger. An undercover sheriff’s deputy was also shot in the leg during the confusion, possibly by friendly fire.
"There was a lot of law enforcement on the scene because of the nature of the investigation that was being conducted," said Buess.
Three of the four suspects are believed to be here illegally from Mexico, and the DEA is investigating possible ties to a Mexican drug cartel.
"We know we have cartel remnants here from Mexico," said Jarvier Pena, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Houston division. "We have violent groups, and we need to remember that violence and drugs go hand in hand. These people will do anything to sell their dope."
At the very least, Pena said, they’re dealing with a Houston-based drug trafficking organization that’s not afraid to use violence. More arrests are likely to follow.
All four suspects – De Luna, Tavera, Ricardo Ramirez and Rolando Resendiz—have been charged with capital murder and were being held in the Harris County jail Wednesday without bond.
