Rio Grande Valley Political Campaign Worker arrested by feds for bribing voters
By: Jose G. Landa
Copyright 2013 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
McAllen, Texas resident Diana Castaneda, also known as Diana Balderas, was arrested by federal agents for allegedly paying voters in cash, beer, and cigarettes in exchange for casting their votes for certain candidates whom she was working for during the 2012 primary and general elections on Friday, December 27, 2013. Castaneda also allegedly took and drove some voters to go buy drugs after getting paid for casting their votes.
Castaneda allegedly paid voters $10 each for casting their votes for the candidates that she told them to vote for and gave them a card or piece of paper with the names of the candidates whom to vote for.
Castaneda was interviewed by federal agents and she told them that she was a politiquera who worked for several political candidates and that one candidate had paid her $125 to obtain food for voters and to pay each voter $10-$20 for their votes.
Castaneda allegedly was paid monies by a political campaign manager to buy beer and cigarettes for voters in exchange for their votes in favor of a certain political candidate. Castaneda allegedly told federal agents that on several occasions she drove voters to go buy drugs after getting paid for their votes.
On Friday, December 27th, Castaneda appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos for the Southern District of Texas in McAllen, Texas which ordered Castaneda be held in detention until preliminary and detention hearings are held later this week.
