Authorities: More than $1.5 million in pirated media seized in raid

NEAR DONNA — Authorities seized more than 100,000 pirated CDs and DVDs in a raid Wednesday that sent 37 people to jail.

Hidalgo County Sheriff's deputies led the charge for "Operation Blackbeard," a two-week investigation that began amid complaints from investigators working for the recording and movie industries.

Local, state and federal law enforcement officers raided the crowded Val-Verde Flea Market, just west of Val Verde Road along U.S. Business 83 near Donna, about 8 a.m. Wednesday.

The sting netted more than $1.5 million worth of pirated CDs and DVDs, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said.

Deputies were unsure of the citizenship status of the 37 vendors arrested Wednesday, but noted that past investigations found that most pirated material sold in the Rio Grande Valley was also manufactured here, Treviño said.

"The vendors here at the flea markets have found a ready-made customer base," the sheriff said.

Some of the arrested vendors said they did not know what they were doing broke state and federal laws.

McAllen resident Ricardo Mata was among the dozens of vendors who face charges of violating state anti-piracy law. He said he had been hawking DVDs at pulgas for about the past month.

"I just did it because I had to get the money," said Mata, 24.

Treviño said those arrested would be charged with breaking the Texas law against improper labeling of sound or image recordings.

Adopted in 1989, the law prohibits the sale, resale, rental or transportation of a recording for personal financial gain if the outside packaging of the recording doesn't clearly and conspicuously disclose the actual name and address of the manufacturer and the name of the performer or group. Violations of the law are punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The vendors could also face federal anti-piracy charges, Treviño added.

"Bottom line, these are thieves that are preying on a particular industry and this industry is a victim," he said.

Local law enforcement began looking into pirated disc sales at the flea market after complaints came in from investigators with the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America.

Wednesday's raid was not the first at an area flea market.

Police have raided Ochoa's Flea Market in Alton after they worked with the recording and movie industry several times in recent years, targeting media pirates.

But at least 40,000 bootlegged DVDs were seized by officials Wednesday - not the most the MPAA has led authorities to confiscate, but the raid "does rank up in the top percentage," said Mike Robinson, the MPAA's director of North American anti-piracy operations.

And the impact from Wednesday's seizure could be felt farther than the Valley, Robinson said.

"(Flea markets can) become distribution centers for the region," he said.

Deputies carted out scores of plastic tubs filled with rows of paper-sleeved DVDs and CDs while Winter Texans and locals alike continued to peruse the aisles, looking for bargains.

Other vendors selling legal items - or those not targeted by authorities, at least - said the raids hurt their sales, given that U.S. Business 83 in front of the bazaar was closed until early in the afternoon.

Two vendors managed to evade arrest after they ran from officers, the sheriff said.

Steve Eusonovich was selling his handmade magnetic jewelry while authorities tried to arrest the vendor selling pirated discs in a neighboring stall.

The vendor slammed into Eusonovich's metal-lined table in desperation and fell to the ground before he got up and ran from the authorities.

"I thought they were having a fight," Eusonovich said.

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Monitor reporter Sean Gaffney contributed to this report.

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Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.

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