‘High ranking’ Bandidos biker gang member arrested in San Antonio narcotics raid, sheriff says

An alleged high-ranking gang member is in custody after sheriff’s deputies said they searched a South Side home last week, finding firearms, body armor and thousands in cash.

On Thursday, deputies executed a search warrant related to narcotics at a home in the 1200 block of Cantrell Drive, according to a news release from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

While searching the home, deputies say they found a stolen Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a stolen pistol and just over $206,000 in cash believed to be obtained through narcotics trafficking. K-9s alerted in multiple areas of the home, indicating narcotics could be present, the release said.

Deputies also searched a detached building called the “clubhouse.” Between the main house and the clubhouse, authorities found 33 firearms and two body armor vests, according to the sheriff’s office.

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Anselmo Barrera, 60, was arrested and charged with possession of body armor by a felon, a third-degree felony. Additional charges are pending, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office said he is a “documented member” with a “high-ranking national position” in the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. Inside the clubhouse, deputies had found a large number of insignia and merchandise related to the gang.

Barrera was released from the Bexar County jail Sunday after posting a $65,000 bond. He is placed under full house arrest and is required to undergo random drug and alcohol testing as a condition of bond. He is also prohibited from possessing firearms.

He previously pleaded guilty to felony drug possession charges in 1992 and 1996, court records show.

He was also charged with hindering apprehension of a felon in 2008, but the case was dismissed for insufficient evidence. In 2018, he was charged with speeding and received deferred adjudication.