Daniel Arroyo, a 32-year-old Hispanic man known to his family as "Danny," was a devoted father and cherished member of his Laredo, Texas, community. He worked for himself in the car business and was the loving father of seven children: Arlene Arroyo, Jose, Daleyza, Ximena, Daniel Arroyo Jr., Lorraine Moncada, and Nicole Villalobos. Daniel was survived by his mother, Leticia Lara; his stepfather, Joe Angel Salinas; his girlfriend, Lorena Rivas; and his siblings, Luis, Miguel, and Crystal. His family and many friends remembered him as a man they loved dearly, whose life was cut short just two days before Christmas.
In the pre-dawn hours of Friday, December 23, 2022, the Laredo Police Department responded to reports of a shooting at a commercial plaza in the 200 block of West Del Mar Boulevard. At approximately 3:30 a.m., officers arrived to find Daniel Arroyo outside a closed business, suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police immediately began a homicide investigation into his death. The shooting prompted safety concerns from nearby business owners, who noted that the plaza's mix of bars and other establishments meant employees were often working late at night and felt vulnerable.
The investigation swiftly pointed to a primary suspect. By the end of the day, Laredo police had secured an arrest warrant for 37-year-old Jesus Guadalupe Covarrubias, identifying him as the man responsible for Daniel’s murder. Authorities issued a public alert, warning that Covarrubias was considered armed and dangerous. However, the suspect had already fled the country. He first hid in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas before making his way to Mexico City.
An international manhunt ensued, culminating in Covarrubias's capture in January 2023. A joint operation between the U.S. Marshals and the Mexican Military located and arrested him at a hotel in Mexico City. Following his arrest, U.S. and Mexican authorities began the lengthy and complex process of extradition. While wanted for the murder, Covarrubias was also facing separate federal charges in the United States. He had been indicted by a grand jury in October 2021 for a series of gun crimes, including being a felon in possession of a firearm and orchestrating a straw-purchasing scheme to acquire dozens of firearms for a Mexican cartel. He had been released on bond for those charges in August 2021 before he fled.
On February 21, 2025, after more than two years, Jesus Guadalupe Covarrubias was successfully extradited from Mexico and returned to Laredo by the U.S. Marshals. He was taken into custody to face the murder charge for Daniel Arroyo's death, as well as the outstanding federal firearms charges. In the federal case, he pleaded guilty in March 2025 and was later sentenced to 120 months—10 years—in federal prison for his role in the gun trafficking scheme.
In October 2025, the state's case regarding Daniel's death reached its conclusion in a Webb County courtroom. Jesus Guadalupe Covarrubias pleaded guilty to the murder of Daniel Arroyo. As part of the plea agreement, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. With the conviction and sentencing, the case of Daniel Arroyo's murder is now considered closed by the justice system.
