Second Kleberg County Judge Arrested in Less Than a Month
By Menda Eulenfeld, STCN - Updated on January, 25, 2026 at 8:24 am
KINGSVILLE, TEXAS - Kleberg County Justice of the Peace Brandon Barrera arrested Saturday night after a disturbance at Kingsville Wal-Mart. He was booked on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, and simple assault, police say.
Original story posted on January 24, 2026
KINGSVILLE, TEXAS - In less than one month, a second Kleberg County judge has been arrested, following an incident at a Kingsville retail store Saturday evening.
Kleberg County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2, Brandon W. Barrera, was taken into custody after a reported disturbance at Wal-Mart, according to Kingsville Police Chief John Blair.
Chief Blair confirmed that Kingsville Police officers responded to an incident at a local business in the 1100 block of East General Cavazos Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers made contact with loss prevention personnel regarding an alleged disturbance involving a customer later identified as Barrera.
During a search, officers located a small baggie containing a substance believed to be a controlled substance, Chief Blair said.
Barrera was subsequently booked into the Kleberg County Jail at 7:18 p.m. on January 24, 2026, according to the Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office. As of publication, formal charges have not yet been released, and the substance has not been officially identified pending further testing.
Authorities have not indicated whether additional charges may be forthcoming, nor have they released details regarding the nature of the alleged disturbance.
The arrest marks the second time in January that a Kleberg County judge has been taken into custody.
On January 9, 2026, Kleberg County Judge Rudy Madrid was arrested on a driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge following a traffic stop conducted by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper.
The back-to-back arrests of two county judges within weeks of each other have raised concerns among residents regarding leadership and accountability within county government.
This is a developing story. Additional details will be published as they become available.
