Gandara Bonds Out Of Jail, Turns In Resignation Letter To County Judge

Guillermo “Willie” Gandara Jr. bonded out of jail shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday and resigned his seat on Commissioners Court less than an hour later.

His resignation became official when he sent a signed letter of resignation to County Judge Veronica Escobar.

Gandara, wearing a white undershirt and faded blue jeans, exited the U.S. federal courthouse telling the media, “No comment. I can’t talk to you guys.”

Gandara was moved from the El Paso County Jail to the federal courthouse Wednesday morning so he could make arrangements to bond out of jail.

A federal judge on Monday set Gandara’s bond at $50,000 cash bond. Gandara has been charged with federal drug trafficking charges and has been in jail since Feb. 22.

During Monday’s hearing, prosecutors played video surveillance evidence they said shows Gandara and Juan Canales engaged in illegal activity. Canales was released early Wednesday morning on a $20,000 cash bond.

Gandara, 37, also will withdraw from the State Representative District 75 race. He was elected to Commissioners Court in November 2008.

According to prosecutors, Gandara allegedly set up the exchange of large loads of marijuana which was stored at a property Gandara owned in Socorro. At one point in one of the recorded conversations with a confidential informant, Gandara allegedly bragged about a small pipeline he has that runs loads of marijuana to Oklahoma and Chicago.

“We were a little surprised with the evidence,” Spencer said after Tuesday’s hearing. “I think there’s some issues here with entrapment. That’s a solid defense. What we have here is … Mr. Gandara, it appeared, he did have some involvement … what the extent of involvement is we really don’t know.”

Gandara was arrested the night of Feb. 22 in Sierra Blanca, Texas. Spencer told ABC-7 last week that his client was on his way to San Antonio for a family vacation when he was arrested in Sierra Blanca. Spencer said Gandara was taken by law enforcement to Socorro for a search of his home. Spencer said the search turned up nothing.

“He’s just very anxious to get this case behind him,” Spencer said on Monday morning. “So he’s looking forward to getting through the detention hearing and presenting this case.”

“There’s really no reason I can think of that it would be denied,” Spencer said Monday morning, adding that the government’s argument that Gandara is a flight risk and a danger to society is outweighed by the facts that Gandara has deep ties to the community and has not been arrested before.

Canales, 50, of San Elizario, has been charged with federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges in connection with the alleged operation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Gandara and Canales have been charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana and one substance count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

The indictment also charges Gandara with three counts of maintaining property for the distribution of marijuana, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in federal prison per count.

The indictment alleges that from November 2010 until the present, the defendants conspired to possess and distribute over 50 kilograms of marijuana using property owned by Gandara located at 1000 Coker Road in El Paso County.

The indictment also contains a notice of criminal forfeiture whereby the government is seeking to forfeit any and all proceeds derived from their alleged marijuana trafficking operation.

Related Link:Gandara’s Resignation Letter To County Judge

ABC-7 Reporters Gerardo Najera and Darren Hunt contributed to this story.