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Splendora teacher arrested on drug charges, said to have ties to Mexican drug cartel
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| Elena Ducoing |
By JAMIE NASH
Law enforcement officials arrested the second Montgomery County elementary school teacher on drug-related charges in less than a week on Wednesday.
Montgomery County Special Investigations Unit officers took Elena Aranda Ducoing, a Greenleaf Elementary first-grade teacher, into custody at the Splendora school Wednesday afternoon. They served an indictment warrant on felony possession charges for marijuana and cocaine, Lt. Phillip Cash, who heads the SIU, said.
Ducoing was indicted Sept. 30, Cash said.
Montgomery ISD kindergarten teacher Emiley Weaks was arrested and immediately terminated Oct. 2 after police found methamphetamine in her car during a traffic stop.
Ducoing, 40, of Conroe, was charged with third-degree felony possession of marijuana (5 to 50 pounds) and third-degree felony possession of cocaine (1 to 4 grams).
The arrest came more than two weeks after the Sept. 22 arrest of her husband, 47-year-old Roberto Munoz, on the same charges. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Munoz is a suspected member of the Los Zetas and Gulf drug trafficking cartel, one of Mexico’s largest and most violent drug cartels, Cash said
The arrests of Ducoing and Munoz resulted from a six-month investigation where police say they found evidence of marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking, along with millions of dollars in money laundering.
A large amount of evidence was collected last month at the Carriage Hills home Ducoing and Munoz share with their three children, Cash said. Police seized computers, documents, 10 pounds of marijuana, 3 grams of cocaine with a street value of $2,300 and a money counting machine, officials said. Trafficking items such as a large sealing machine used to package and transport currency and narcotics were also seized, Cash said.
“All of the evidence collected during our investigation has been forwarded to the DEA and they will pursue federal charges,” Cash said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the citizenship status of both Munoz and Ducoing, Cash said.
Child Protective Services was contacted last month regarding the couple’s three school-age children, he said.
The children of Splendora ISD were also considered during Ducoing’s arrest, according to Cash and SISD Superintendent, Dr. Thomas Price. Ducoing was arrested immediately after school away from students and parents.
Price said the incident was unprecedented in his district and came as a huge surprise.
“Of course we were very disappointed,” Price said.
This is Ducoing’s second school year with the district and Price called her a “very good employee” who was “very good for the students.”
A substitute teacher will be in Ducoing’s class today, he said, but he couldn’t say what additional actions would be taken. The district does not have a policy in place regarding such an incident, Price said.
“Our main concern is to make sure our community’s children, who already lived through seven days of disarray with Ike, don’t fall further behind,” he said.
The district does not have a mandatory or random drug testing policy for teachers, but may search an employee or their property if there are reasonable grounds to believe the search will turn up evidence of work-related misconduct, officials stated in an e-mail Wednesday. Allegations of district employees are handled by administrators and district police officers.
Price said SISD officials sought legal advice after Ducoing’s arrest.
“It’s a first for us and we’re waiting for direction,” he said. “We don’t want to violate anybody’s rights.”
Because the arrest occurred after school, the district was unable to send notes home with students, but Price said they planned to do so immediately.
Montgomery County Special Investigations Unit officers took Elena Aranda Ducoing, a Greenleaf Elementary first-grade teacher, into custody at the Splendora school Wednesday afternoon. They served an indictment warrant on felony possession charges for marijuana and cocaine, Lt. Phillip Cash, who heads the SIU, said.
Ducoing was indicted Sept. 30, Cash said.
Montgomery ISD kindergarten teacher Emiley Weaks was arrested and immediately terminated Oct. 2 after police found methamphetamine in her car during a traffic stop.
Ducoing, 40, of Conroe, was charged with third-degree felony possession of marijuana (5 to 50 pounds) and third-degree felony possession of cocaine (1 to 4 grams).
The arrest came more than two weeks after the Sept. 22 arrest of her husband, 47-year-old Roberto Munoz, on the same charges. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Munoz is a suspected member of the Los Zetas and Gulf drug trafficking cartel, one of Mexico’s largest and most violent drug cartels, Cash said
The arrests of Ducoing and Munoz resulted from a six-month investigation where police say they found evidence of marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking, along with millions of dollars in money laundering.
A large amount of evidence was collected last month at the Carriage Hills home Ducoing and Munoz share with their three children, Cash said. Police seized computers, documents, 10 pounds of marijuana, 3 grams of cocaine with a street value of $2,300 and a money counting machine, officials said. Trafficking items such as a large sealing machine used to package and transport currency and narcotics were also seized, Cash said.
“All of the evidence collected during our investigation has been forwarded to the DEA and they will pursue federal charges,” Cash said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the citizenship status of both Munoz and Ducoing, Cash said.
Child Protective Services was contacted last month regarding the couple’s three school-age children, he said.
The children of Splendora ISD were also considered during Ducoing’s arrest, according to Cash and SISD Superintendent, Dr. Thomas Price. Ducoing was arrested immediately after school away from students and parents.
Price said the incident was unprecedented in his district and came as a huge surprise.
“Of course we were very disappointed,” Price said.
This is Ducoing’s second school year with the district and Price called her a “very good employee” who was “very good for the students.”
A substitute teacher will be in Ducoing’s class today, he said, but he couldn’t say what additional actions would be taken. The district does not have a policy in place regarding such an incident, Price said.
“Our main concern is to make sure our community’s children, who already lived through seven days of disarray with Ike, don’t fall further behind,” he said.
The district does not have a mandatory or random drug testing policy for teachers, but may search an employee or their property if there are reasonable grounds to believe the search will turn up evidence of work-related misconduct, officials stated in an e-mail Wednesday. Allegations of district employees are handled by administrators and district police officers.
Price said SISD officials sought legal advice after Ducoing’s arrest.
“It’s a first for us and we’re waiting for direction,” he said. “We don’t want to violate anybody’s rights.”
Because the arrest occurred after school, the district was unable to send notes home with students, but Price said they planned to do so immediately.
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Reader Comments
Buddy wrote on Oct 22, 2008 10:49 PM:
" This is the kind of things that makes you sick to your stomach. Everyone is always trying to dig up dirt on the good people who are really trying to help, when the crimials, dangerous criminals are right in our schools and living next door to us. This world is going down hill fast and our children are paying the ultiminate price. Sex offenders, drug dealers, robbery & family murders. Go ahead keep pretending it will never happen to you. It time to fight back and start making changes in our communities. We as a community are allowing these issues to go unaddressed. People are complaining and not doing. A first grade teacher my word how crazy is that. All the administration can say is they would have never believed it. They have no drug controll for teachers, why? Are our children really safe when they go to school? Wonder if the drug dealers come to retaliate against the whole school. Why are our teachers not screened any better? Why don't dogs be a mandetory screening process around the cars? Why was 1st graders being taught by such a dangerous women? Why after her husband was arrested did'nt the school look further into the wifes history? They are looking into seeing if they are even citizens. I feel like pulling my kids right out of school. Schools need to find better ways to make sure our children are safe. Atleast go the extra mile to ensure their safety. I just fill ill. I hope all the supers at all the schools are looking at this story and began new policies for all our teachers. "
pete123 wrote on Oct 10, 2008 3:00 PM: