AUSTIN, Texas -- An arrest warrant was issued late Thursday for State Rep. Poncho Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass, after he was caught on surveillance footage dropping an envelope with cocaine inside. It happened as he was leaving the Austin-Begstrom Internatinal Airport in early September, according to an affidavit filed by the Texas Department of Public Safety in Travis County.

• State Rep. Poncho Nevárez caught on surveillance video dropping cocaine at airport, affidavit states
• Nevárez last week stated he will not seek reelection 
• Affidavit states Nevárez could face third-degree felony possession charge

Nevárez announced last week he would not seek reelection in 2020, saying it was “time to come home” and put his “family and health” first. Thursday, he admitted the decision against running was due to addiction.

“Unfortunately, the news is true. It is why I chose not to seek re-election. I had imperiled my health,”  Nevárez said in a statement. “I do not have anyone to blame but myself. I accept this because it is true and it will help me get better. In a weird way I am grateful. Grief and addiction were consuming me, but oddly enough, I feel better now than I have in a long time, and I mean that. I have many relationships to repair starting at home and I intend to seek treatment. I apologize to each and every person that feels I have let them down. I look forward to a future with my family and friends, to being healthy, and finally, home.”

Wednesday night, the conservative website Direct Action Texas published an affidavit that claimed Nevárez dropped an envelope full of cocaine at the Austin airport in September. Spectrum News confirmed the affidavit, filed Oct. 29 in Travis County court, was attached to a warrant seeking DNA from Nevárez to test whether his saliva was on the envelope.

On September 6, according to the affidavit, two Texas Department of Transportation employees found the envelope outside the entrance to an area of ABIA used by traveling state officials. It states that four small clear plastic baggies “containing a white power-like substance” were found inside a sealed envelope outside the entrance of the TxDOT Flight Services in Austin.

The envelope had a letterhead that was from the “Office of the State of Texas House of Representatives Member Poncho Nevárez,” the affidavit states. Surveillance footage showed Nevárez leaving TxDOT Flight Services and “dropping a white paper object” as he was getting into the front passenger seat of his chief of staff’s black SUV.  

“Through training and experience, I have learned that individuals involved in the possession of narcotics would like to remain discreet and typically conceal the narcotics as best as they can,” Special Agent Otto Cabrera wrote. “Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that Rep. Nevarez, using his own letterhead envelope, licked and sealed the envelope that contained the cocaine in order to keep it concealed.” 

The affidavit states that DPS immediately took custody of the contents left behind by Nevárez. Lab results indicated that the white powdery substance tested positive for cocaine weighing roughly two grams. The document notes that Nevárez is suspected of third-degree felony possession of a controlled substance, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Nevárez is currently the chair of the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee and is also vice-chair of the Select Committee on Mass Violence Prevention and Community Safety. 

The Texas Democratic Party issued a statement Thursday saying: “Addiction is a serious issue and it’s important for people to access the help they need moving forward. Rep. Nevárez is taking responsibility and seeking the help he needs. We wish the best to him and his family during his recovery.”