Suspected drug boss accused in killings

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A Manor man, accused of shooting two people at a local strip club , is also a suspected drug boss.

Police arrested Jorge Gutierrez, 24, three weeks ago after a Memorial Day fight at the Pink Monkey strip club where two stepbrothers were killed.

In the days leading up to that shooting, federal investigators had tapped Gutierrez's cell phone and uncovered what they believed to be a conspiracy to distribute drugs to the East Coast.

Authorities suspected Gutierrez of heading up a group that would smuggle kilograms of cocaine from Mexico to Austin, which was eventually distributed to the East Coast states of Virginia, Maryland and Philadelphia.

While Gutierrez lives in Manor, authorities said they believe he used an Austin home as a "launching point for the cocaine distribution." The stash house at 4600 Nuckols Crossing Road would allegedly restore its drug supplies from Mexico, while the Manor home at 21700 Hog Eye Road served to store the money that came from the cocaine sales.

Meanwhile, authorities have not said whether the strip club shooting was drug-related.

Travis County Sheriff's Office detectives said they think the incident started as a fist fight before Gutierrez went to retrieve a pistol from a truck. He allegedly shot and killed brothers Jose Hernandez and Arturo Rodriguez Jr.

In addition to the federal conspiracy charges, Gutierrez is charged with capital murder in the strip club shooting case. His bond has been set at $1 million.