SEGUIN, Texas – A round-up of suspected gang members in Seguin and surrounding areas greatly exceeded the expectations of those who organized it.
Twenty men and women, ranging in age from 19 to 48, were taken into custody on a variety charges early Monday.
Sgt. James Springer with the Seguin Police Department said his officers were out to serve only 17 warrants but found other suspects in the process.
Officers also seized a stash of automatic weapons, methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin and marijuana, as well as cash, from several of the locations where they made the arrests.
The predawn raid was the result of an investigation by Seguin police and the Guadalupe County District Attorney's Office that had been going on since last November.
However, they had help in executing their plan from various agencies, including the Department of Public Safety's gang unit, Guadalupe County SWAT team, Cibolo Police Department and Schertz Fire Department's paramedics, Springer said.
"We could not have done it alone," he said. "We were able to locate (the suspects) quickly and surprise them."
Springer said teams set out as early as 4 a.m. Monday, looking for the most dangerous suspects first, and trying to hit them before they knew what was coming.
"Places that we know they've been staying -- girlfriends' homes, families' homes. Wherever we've been keeping an eye on them," Springer said.
Those who were arrested during the round-up include: Roy Allen Flores, 30; Amos Rodriguez, 33; Tatiana Navarro, 29; Jason Villareal, 40; Andrew Salazar, 30; Erica Esquivel, 23; Santos Perez, Jr., 34; Reynaldo Salazar, 48; Jacob Sauceda, 36; Bobby Barrientos,32; Michael Gonzales, 28; Noah Martinez, 28; Jose Diaz, 19; Damian Deleon, 32; Ashley Rodriguez, 22; and Francheska Gonzales, 23.
Michael Hernandez, 34; John Galvan, 30; Rolando Aguirre, 25; and Moses Palomares, 24, all were served warrants while they were already in custody, according to a news release from the city of Seguin's public information office.
"It means a lot to us," he said. "To be able to target all the different levels disrupts their ability to produce and distribute the narcotics."
If the effort has the effect police desire, it will lead to a permanent disruption to this sort of activity.