01 Jul Cocaine County Clerk Back in Court

This morning Tuesday, former Hidalgo County District Clerk Omar Guerrero made his first local appearance in federal court since his Mexico arrest last week.

Guerrero has been on the run since he fled to Mexico in 2013 following his arrest for felony charge of cocaine possession (4g-200g) and subsequent felony warrant for sexual assault of a minor. He also faced additional weapons related charges at this time.

This 2013 arrest was not his first brush with the law. In 2005, 3 years after being elected to county clerk at the age of 25, he was arrested for DWI and marijuana possession. The following year in 2006 he was charged with the sexual assault of a child but was fully acquitted after a two-week trial.

After being arrested in Mexico, he’ll first face the felony charges for fleeing and the drug possesion after which he’ll then be handed over to Hidalgo County authorities to face his sexual assault charges.

His case will be overseen by U.S. Magistrate Nadia Medrano, who was appointed as magistrate judge in the McAllen of the Southern District of Texas in 2021.

Guerrero is being represented by longtime local lawyer, Rick Salinas, son of former Mission mayor Beto Salinas. Rick also represented Guerrero in 2006 when he was acquitted for sexual assault charges.