THREE INVOLVED IN SHOOTING OF FEDERAL AGENT PLEAD GUILTY

McALLEN, Texas – Leobardo Villarreal, 24, Juan Villarreal, 27, and Abel Rangel, 33, all from Mission, Texas, pleaded guilty for their roles in an attempted May 2005 carjacking that left a female Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent wounded, U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today.

At this afternoon’s hearing before U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa, the United States presented evidence establishing that in the late afternoon of May 5, 2005, an ICE agent was conducting surveillance of drug trafficking activity near the Rio Grande River south of Mission. While driving north on Schubach Road she stopped at the intersection of Highway 83 and Inspiration Road and noticed two men in a Ford Mustang drive up immediately next to her.

The Ford Mustang was occupied by Juan Villarreal, the driver, and Leobardo Villareal, the passenger. Leobardo Villarreal got out of the car with a handgun. Believing that the car contained several hundred kilograms of marijuana and intending to steal the car, Leobardo Villarreal walked to the agent’s driver side door and while pointing the gun at the agent, demanded that she get out. When the agent refused, Leobardo Villarreal shot into the car, striking the agent in the foot. Leobardo Villarreal and Juan Villarreal fled the scene. While his co-defendants were attempting to hijack the agent’s car, Abel Rangel was in another vehicle acting as a look out.

Two weeks following the attempted carjacking, Mission Police Department received an anonymous tip through CRIMESTOPPERS regarding the location of the Ford Mustang involved in the assault of the agent and the carjacking. Acting on the tip, officers of the Mission Police Department and FBI agents located the Mustang at a residence in Mission. Further investigation resulted in the identification of Juan Villarreal as the owner of the car. Contact with Juan Villarreal ultimately led to the identification of his brother, Leobardo Villarreal, as the shooter. Both Juan and Leobardo Villarreal confessed and were arrested. Abel Rangel, the lookout, was also identified and arrested two days later.

Leobardo Villarreal pleaded guilty to the attempted carjacking and the use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. He faces a maximum of 25 years in federal prison, without parole, for the carjacking conviction. The use of a firearm during the attempted carjacking conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life imprisonment that must be served consecutive to any sentence imposed for the attempted carjacking. Both offenses also carry a maximum fine of $250,000.

In addition, Leobardo Villarreal also pleaded guilty today to having escaped from federal custody in September 2005. The escape charge was filed after Leobardo Villarreal, who had intentionally cut himself with a piece of a razor blade and was admitted to a McAllen area hospital for treatment, overpowered two guards and fled the hospital. After an intensive four-month investigation conducted by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Leobardo Villarreal was found and arrested on the escape charge. He has remained in federal custody since his apprehension and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing on Jan. 29, 2007. Leobardo Villarreal faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for this felony conviction.

Abel Rangel and Juan Villarreal each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana and the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. Each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to 40 years of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy conviction. The use of the firearm during a drug trafficking crime conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, which must be served consecutive to any sentence imposed for the drug conspiracy conviction. They, too, face fines of up to $250,000 for each count of conviction.

Rangel and Juan Villarreal, who have been in custody since their arrest, will remain in custody pending their sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 29, 2007.

The federal agent wounded during the attempted carjacking was treated for her wound and is recovering.

The investigation leading to the charges against these defendants was conducted by the FBI and the Mission Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anibal J. Alaniz.