Three individuals have been apprehended in relation to the abduction of a Tyler man. According to their claims, the victim supposedly owes an $80,000 debt to a cartel in Juarez. The affidavit obtained from the 114th District Court sheds light on the accusations against the trio. Notably, one of the suspects is the proprietor of a restaurant situated at Tyler Pounds Airport and has allegedly made multiple trips across the border to procure drugs for a narcotics network that has attracted the attention of federal authorities.
Authorities traced the cell number and discovered that the suspects were heading west towards Dallas. During interviews with the sons, they provided a description of the driver, identified as Julio Cesar Cordova, 48. They described him as skinny, with a trimmed beard, wearing a hat, a long-sleeve shirt, and an orange/brown vest. They also mentioned that he was armed with a silver revolver. The passenger, Walybert Eron Cordova-Rascon, 39, was described as heavyset, wearing yellow-tinted sunglasses and a black hoodie. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing arms covered in tattoos. The sons claimed that Cordova-Rascon was carrying a black pistol.
According to the affidavit, the suspects maintained contact with the victim’s wife, engaging in conversations with her while the victim was present in the car. The wife informed them that she did not possess $10,000 as requested, prompting the suspects to modify their demand to $5,000. Eventually, they settled on accepting “whatever she could collect” as payment.
When the cell ping indicated that the suspects had halted at a gas station in Fort Worth, the local police quickly identified the vehicle and initiated a stop. According to the affidavit, officers discovered the victim in the back seat and apprehended the suspects. The car was subsequently towed to a police lot for further examination. It was revealed that the vehicle was registered as a rental. During a search, authorities uncovered two firearms that matched the earlier description, as well as drugs and what appeared to be a tracking device.
The investigators discovered a notebook inside the car that contained vital details about the victim, including their name, address, and family information. Additionally, there was a memo in the notebook that mentioned “11 birds” and “80K.” According to the detectives, “birds” is a commonly used term in the drug world to indicate weight in kilograms. This led them to believe that the victim owed 11 kg of a specific drug and $80,000 to someone.
According to the affidavit, detectives discovered text conversations on the victim’s phone with an unfamiliar Mexican number regarding a specified debt. The text evidence also indicated involvement in the trade of narcotics. Despite this, the victim maintained that he did not recognize the two individuals when they confronted him in his driveway. He revealed that he reluctantly got into the car due to their threat to harm his family. During the kidnapping, the victim claimed that Walybert Cordova-Rascon was seated beside him in the back, consuming methamphetamine as they traveled.
Both individuals were taken into custody and placed in the Smith County Jail on March 18. They were charged with aggravated kidnapping for ransom. According to the indictments, Julio Cordova’s bond was set at $750,000, while Walybert Cordova-Rascon’s bond was set at $450,000. Following a follow-up interview with detectives, Walybert was able to post bail on April 15.
Authorities discovered Glesias’ number through the victim’s phone records and obtained information about a burner phone that was active from January 31 to March 29. The location data from the burner phone indicated that it was frequently in the vicinity of Cambridge Road and Townhouse Drive in Tyler, as well as making numerous visits to Tyler Pounds Regional Airport.
Detectives reached out to the neighbors in the identified area, and they confirmed that the description matched Brandon Markeith Jeffrey, aged 41. According to the arrest affidavit, the neighbors informed the authorities that Jeffrey had been living in a rented residence there for approximately 1.5 years and was the owner of the Mile High restaurant at Tyler Pounds. The investigators also discovered surveillance footage from two Walmarts in Tyler, which clearly showed Jeffrey driving the grey vehicle that Cordova-Rascon had described.
Authorities discovered images of a covert detective from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office on the phone along with a text stating, “This is the person responsible for apprehending everyone.”
On October 23, authorities issued a warrant for Jeffrey’s arrest. The following day, on October 24, he was taken into custody and booked into the Smith County Jail. Jeffrey is facing charges of facilitating an aggravated kidnapping, and his bond has been set at $750,000.
Julio Cordova and Walybert Cordova-Rascon were indicted on June 20. They are scheduled to have a plea docket agreement hearing on November 6 before Judge Taylor Heaton.
KLTV has contacted the attorneys representing Jeffrey for comment, but one of them declined to provide any response at this time. The other attorney has not yet responded to the inquiry. Currently, the court has not received a letter of representation for Jeffrey.
