A federal judge has set bond for a man accused of running a South Texas ropa usada business with ties to a Mexican drug cartel. Thirty-two-year-old San Juan resident Fernando Mirales was arrested on July 24th on money laundering and smuggling charges.
Federal prosecutors wanted Mirales kept in jail until trial, saying he is a flight risk. U.S. District Court Judge Randy Crane set Mirales’ bond at 100 thousand dollars Thursday, with a requirement to pay half of that in cash before he is released.