A building in South Texas linked to the Gulf Cartel is headed to the auction block this fall after its former owner agreed to forfeit it as part of a federal criminal case.
The commercial property, located at 21370 Military Highway 281 in San Benito, is scheduled to be auctioned online on Friday, September 18, according to the auction listing. The 1,845-square-foot commercial building sits on 1.6 acres and includes two offices, a break room, bathroom and attached garage.
Martinez was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to running a yearslong scheme. Prosecutors said he and others fixed prices, forced competing businesses to pay fees and laundered millions of dollars in proceeds from businesses that transported used vehicles through the Los Indios Port of Entry.
As part of his plea agreement, Martinez agreed to give up four properties and $375,000 in seized cash. Court records identify one of those properties as a building on FM 2520 in San Benito that prosecutors said was purchased with proceeds from the extortion scheme and placed in another person’s name to conceal its ownership.
Federal prosecutors said Martinez was responsible for at least $9.5 million in extortion payments. In April, the Justice Department announced that eight defendants had pleaded guilty in the investigation, which centered on businesses that helped people transport used vehicle and other goods from the United States through Mexico to Central America. Three defendants charged in the case remain fugitives.