An investigation into a murder-for-hire case peeled back the curtain on a drug trafficking network ran by Bexar County inmates and outside accomplices.
SAN ANTONIO — The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has concluded an investigation into a criminal network accused of smuggling synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as K2, into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.
The operation was uncovered earlier this month during a separate murder-for-hire investigation. Detectives identified what they described as a coordinated effort involving inmates and outside accomplices who allegedly used fraudulent “legal mail” to move K2 into the facility.
On Feb. 17, 2026, BCSO Street Crimes units, K9 units and investigators executed multiple arrest and search warrants. Several suspects who were not already in custody were arrested during the operation, BCSO said.
A search warrant executed at a residence in Converse led to the recovery of three stolen vehicles, two firearms and approximately 108 grams of K2-laced material packaged for distribution, according to the sheriff’s office.
Stolen vehicles and drugs
The following individuals have been charged in connection with the alleged organized criminal activity:
Inside the facility:
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Adrian Daniel Farias — Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a first-degree felony; Manufacture or Delivery of a Penalty Group 2/2-A substance, a second-degree felony; and Prohibited Items in a Correctional Facility, a third-degree felony.
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Craig Marshall — Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a first-degree felony; Manufacture or Delivery of a Penalty Group 2/2-A substance, a second-degree felony; and Prohibited Items in a Correctional Facility, a third-degree felony.
Outside the facility:
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Joshua Ezequiel Herrera — Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a first-degree felony; Manufacture or Delivery of a Penalty Group 2/2-A substance, a second-degree felony; Prohibited Items in a Correctional Facility, a third-degree felony; Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, a state jail felony; Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, a third-degree felony; and Possession of a Penalty Group 2-A substance, a Class A misdemeanor.
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Veronica Marie Herrera — Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a first-degree felony; Manufacture or Delivery of a Penalty Group 2/2-A substance, a second-degree felony; and Prohibited Items in a Correctional Facility, a third-degree felony.
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Crystal Lee Zepeda — Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a first-degree felony; Manufacture or Delivery of a Penalty Group 2/2-A substance, a second-degree felony; Prohibited Items in a Correctional Facility, a third-degree felony; and Obstruction or Retaliation, a third-degree felony.
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Brittani Nicole Smith — Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a first-degree felony; and Money Laundering, a third-degree felony.
6 arrested after murder-for-hire investigation reveals drug trafficking network in Bexar County jail
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about illegal activity is encouraged to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at (210) 335-6000 or through the agency’s mobile app, authorities said.