By 
Story by TIM SULLIVAN
The former president of the Progreso school board has pleaded guilty to charges resulting from a federal investigation into cocaine trafficking. Appearing in federal court in Brownsville Tuesday, Francisco Alanis admitted to a charge of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
Alanis acknowledged he helped a drug trafficking organization purchase tractor-trailer rigs for transporting cocaine. Alanis’ guilty plea comes nearly a year after he was arrested on a 3-count indictment in connection with the federal investigation that later led to the arrest of his younger brother – former Progreso mayor Gerardo Alanis. 41-year-old Francisco Alanis is at least the fourth person indicted in the conspiracy to plead guilty. He’ll be sentenced in January.
Meanwhile, Gerardo Alanis is scheduled for trial on the same charges with jury selection to begin November 4th.
