Corpus Christi Police Bust Two Illegal Game Rooms in South Side Raids

Detectives with the Corpus Christi Police Department’s Narcotics and Vice Investigations Division (NVID) executed separate search warrants this week, targeting two illegal gambling establishments on the city’s south side.

The first raid occurred on Wednesday evening at the Lucky Spot Game Room, located in the 4100 block of Weber Road. During the search, detectives discovered and confiscated thirteen illegal gambling devices and over $6,500 in U.S. currency. An employee, 32-year-old Amanda Lozano, was arrested and charged with violation of the Nueces County Game Room Ordinance, Keeping a Gambling Place, Gambling Promotion, Possession of a Gambling Device, and Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity.

On Thursday afternoon, NVID Detectives served a second search warrant at the Lucky Panda Game Room in the 5200 block of Ayers Street. Fifty-two adult patrons found inside the business were cited for Gambling (a Class C misdemeanor) and subsequently released. The search of this establishment yielded the seizure of 145 illegal gaming components and over $26,000 in U.S. currency. Four employees were arrested and charged with the same offenses as in the previous raid: 42-year-old Adan Guerra Sr., 29-year-old Samantha Davila, 27-year-old John Casarez De la Rosa, and 29-year-old Dana Villafranco.

The charge of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity is a state jail felony, carrying a potential sentence of up to two years in jail and a maximum fine of $10,000. The other four charges are Class A misdemeanors.

These two operations were the culmination of an extensive, months-long investigation that uncovered evidence of illegal gambling at both locations. While the businesses do not appear to be connected, the investigation into each is ongoing, and further charges and arrests are possible.

The Corpus Christi Police Department reminds the public that game rooms offering cash payouts or rewards immediately redeemable for cash are engaged in illegal gambling. Both patrons and management of such establishments face potential criminal charges.

NVID Detectives received assistance in these operations from officers with the CCPD Operations Division, Directed Patrol Unit, and Traffic Section. The Corpus Christi Police Department emphasizes its continued collaboration with local, state, and federal partners to investigate and combat illegal gambling, underscoring its commitment to enforcing Texas gambling laws to reduce crime and improve the community’s quality of life.