Gang leader found guilty

McALLEN — The leader of the criminal gang Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos could be facing life in prison after being convicted on drug distribution and weapons charges relating to a 2006 home invasion in McAllen.

Jesus Espinoza, 29, along with three other men, was found guilty Tuesday in McAllen federal court after a seven-day trial, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Houston.

On July 17, 2006, police spotted gang members coming in and out of a home at the intersection of Second Street and Gardenia Avenue with packages of cocaine. According to police, the gang members had just committed a home invasion, which often involves rival drug gangs raiding each other’s homes looking for drugs and money.

Five men were arrested, and a subsequent investigation linked them to Espinoza and Jose Isidro Jimenez, 27, the leader of another criminal gang. Together, Espinoza and Jimenez had organized the home invasion.

Jimenez and nine other men have already pleaded guilty in the case.

The gang members were also convicted on charges related to a Mission home invasion and a McAllen carjacking, both of which took place in June 2006.

Espinoza is scheduled for sentencing in February. He faces a sentence of up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of probation.

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James Osborne covers McAllen, Hidalgo, and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4428.