Texas – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is condemning the reported decision to grant a $1 million bond to a businessman accused of conspiring with the Gulf Cartel to extort travelers at a South Texas port of entry.
Rigoberto Brown, who reportedly uses the name Rigoberto Blanco Cantu in Mexico, surrendered to U.S. authorities at the Anzalduas Port of Entry. He had been wanted since 2022 after being charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to fix prices.
According to allegations described in the case, travelers were allegedly forced to pay cartel-connected interests to cross through the port of entry, with those who refused allegedly facing kidnapping, torture or other violence.
A federal judge reportedly set Brown’s bond at $1 million, requiring a $500,000 cash deposit. According to reports cited by Miller’s office, Brown’s wife posted the cash less than 48 hours later.
Miller criticized the decision while emphasizing that Brown remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.
“Texans are sick and tired of watching cartel-connected criminals treat our border like their personal cash register while law-abiding Americans are left to deal with the consequences,” Miller said.
He questioned whether allowing a defendant accused of cartel-connected extortion to secure release after such a large cash payment sends the right message.
“This defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and we can respect the principles of due process while still demanding accountability,” Miller said.
Miller also pointed to the dangers faced by law enforcement officers confronting cartel organizations and said Texas families, farmers, ranchers and businesses should not have to accept cartel-related crime as normal.
“We cannot normalize cartel-connected crime,” Miller said. “We cannot treat cartel extortion as just another cost of doing business.”
The allegations against Brown remain unproven, and the bond decision does not represent a finding of guilt.
