Over 400 Grams of Meth Seized in San Angelo Drug Bust

A multi-agency drug bust led to the arrest of three men and one woman on Friday, who together, in a residence and a vehicle, were found to have over 400 grams of methamphetamine, drug cutting and distribution tools and an elaborate closed-circuit television system monitoring a house located at 421 E. 24^th St.

According to complaints filed with the case, an investigator with the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Sergeant received information Sept. 18 that John Gilbert Escobedo, 28, was in possession of a vast quantity of methamphetamine. 

Detectives with the sheriff’s office obtained a search warrant for Escobedo’s house, while agents with the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted surveillance, the complaint states. During the surveillance, the DPS agents watched Escobedo and two women, 22-year-old Rhonda Noemi McClellan and 25-year-old Kimberly Reyna.

While driving, Escobedo failed to signal a lane change at 19^th and Chadbourne, an infraction that was relayed to a nearby patrol officer. A traffic stop was then initiated, the complaint states, and Escobedo came to a stop on N. Irving St.

During the traffic stop, SAPD K9 handler Fischer arrived on scene and his dog alerted at the driver’s side door. A subsequent search of the vehicle was conducted, during which detectives located a black purse the women in the car claimed belonged to McClellan. Inside the purse, an SO detective located a small, zippered makeup bag filled with several zip-loc baggies, a straw cut to be used as a scoop, a small digital scale and several bags of a substance that field-tested positive for meth.

McClellan was arrested for manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance >1 </= 4 grams, a first-degree felony.

Back at the residence at 421 E. 24^th, law enforcement officers prepared to execute the search warrant, but found that the door had been blocked with a couch. Once the various officers, agents and detectives made entry, they located 31-year-old Eric Escobedo and 30-year-old Chad Cole Guzman inside.

A large television connected to various security cameras was inside the house, which reflected cameras trained on the outside of the residence. In addition to the CCTV setup, detectives located over 400 grams of methamphetamine, cutting agents, digital scales, plastic baggies, ledgers, a handgun, ammo and a bulletproof vest.

John Escobedo, Eric Escobedo and Chad Guzman were all arrested for first-degree felony manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance >/= 400 grams.

Jail traffic was remarkably high on Friday, when 43 were booked and 40 were released from the facility. 

On Saturday, an even 24 were booked and 24 were released, while on Sunday, 18 were booked and nine were released.