Sullivan City councilman arrested for allegedly selling cocaine

Hidalgo County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Sullivan City Councilman Ruben Villalon last Friday for allegedly selling cocaine at a tire shop he owns last year.

 

 

Villalon, 52 is charged with two felony counts of manufacture or delivery of controlled substances.

 

According to a probable cause affidavit, in August an Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office investigator received information related to the sale of narcotics at Ruben’s Tire Shop in Sullivan City.

 

Surveillance at the shop resulted in arrests for possession of cocaine.

 

In October, investigators met with a confidential informant and gave them $20 to buy cocaine at the tire shop.

 

The informant met with Villalon and gave him $20, the affidavit says. Villalon then allegedly instructed another man to give the informant cocaine.

 

“[Special Operations Division] Investigators recovered 2 Corner Cut Baggies of Cocaine, which gave a combined weight of 0.79 Grams of Cocaine,” the affidavit says.

 

Documents also say that investigators discovered cocaine at Villalon’s home.

 

 

Villalon, who’s been a city councilman since 2023, was released from jail the day after his arrest.

 

Mission attorney Rick Salinas, who’s Villalon’s attorney, says he’s suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his client’s arrest and has so far advised him not to resign from council.

 

There’s a three-slate race going on for two council seats and the mayor’s position in Sullivan City, and Salinas says he’s curious about whether politics played a role in Villalon’s arrest.

 

Though Villalon isn’t up for reelection, Salinas says he’s politically involved.

 

“I think that there’s a bunch of people running and a bunch of people going against the mayor, wrongly in my opinion, because I think she’s done a good job. I suspect that somebody may have set this guy up,” Salinas said. “At the end of the day, if this guy’s done something wrong, it is what it is and he’s got to accept responsibility. But if this was done to play political footsies, then I’ve got a problem with it.”