Pharr woman accused of funneling drug smuggling cash through bank accounts

EDINBURG — Agents busted a Pharr woman who allegedly held the purse strings behind a pot trafficking operation busted late last year.

Joane Esqueda Roque, 25, faced allegations Monday that she laundered about $171,280 in drug money through five area bank accounts between July 2010 and March 2011.

Hidalgo County’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force identified Roque as a money laundering suspect after seizing several tons of marijuana from an unnamed drug trafficking organization in December 2010, a criminal complaint states.

Investigators linked purchases made by the traffickers to conceal their loads to a bank account in Roque’s name, the complaint states.

Five other bank accounts in Roque’s name were identified, as well.

Agents tracked “several large deposits, transfers and withdrawal transactions” over the course of nine months with Roque’s bank accounts, the complaint states. Some of the money spent from the accounts was linked to merchandise allegedly used in the drug trafficking operation, as well as cell phone and utility bills.

That compared with Roque’s reported income of just $15,000 in 2010 and $2,000 in the first three months of 2011.

All deposits made in the bank accounts were less than $10,000 each. That in itself is not a violation of state and federal law.

But because Roque deposited more than $100,000 in a 12-month period with her limited reported income and association to drug traffickers, agents say the bank accounts were used to launder the dirty money.

Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Charlie Espinoza formally charged Roque with money laundering Monday. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Roque was released from the Hidalgo County Jail after posting a $5,000 bond.

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Jared Taylor covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4439.