The son of a Gulf Cartel boss who helped run a major drug operation in Texas will serve two and a half years in federal prison for trying to intimidate federal agents, who were searching for the boy’s father and potential witnesses against the son.
This week, 20-year-old Hector “Torit” Reyes Jr. appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Klein to receive a 30-month sentence for threatening a federal officer and obstructing justice, according to information provided to Breitbart Texas by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. Reyes pleaded guilty to the charges on March 18.
“The Gulf Cartel is a brutal and violent organization that my office is committed to disrupting and dismantling,” U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said in a prepared statement. “Therefore, my office will not tolerate criminals like Reyes using the cartel to intimidate law enforcement and terrify witnesses. Our office takes such attempts seriously and will vigorously pursue those who seek to subvert the justice system through such intimidation.”
According to court documents, Reyes is the son of Hector “Padrino” Reyes, a Gulf Cartel boss who helped run a chapter of the crime organization in Rio Grande City, Texas. One of the charges against Reyes is that he attempted to illegally obtain a jaguar cub as a sacrifice to protect a valuable drug shipment.
Federal agents targeted the group, led by Ignacio “Nacho” Garza, and more than 30 individuals as part of Operation Ice River. Those indicted on multiple charges include Garza’s wife, Rio Grande City Secretary Melissa Garza, and local Magistrate Judge Roel “Role” Valadez.
Federal authorities attempted to arrest Reyes Sr. at his home in Mission, Texas, in September 2022. He had already fled to Monterrey, Mexico, where federal agents claim he was receiving protection from the Gulf Cartel.
In April 2023, Reyes Jr. uploaded a video on social media showing various radios and containing a message against individuals searching for his father. In the video, he stated that Reyes Sr. was backed by the Gulf Cartel and that those searching for him should back off or stop the search.
Mexican authorities arrested Reyes Sr. later that month in Cancun and eventually extradited him to U.S. authorities. During one court hearing, Reyes Jr. and another man attempted to stare down one of the investigators who testified in the case and spat on his car, then bragged to Reyes Sr. over the phone that they had scared him and chased him as he fled the hearing in his car.
In a jailhouse phone call, Reyes Jr. said his father ordered the video blackmail.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist at Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. twitter and FacebookContact details: email address.
Brandon Darby is Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and other senior Breitbart executives. twitter and FacebookContact details: email address.
