HOUSTON (Legal Newsline) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Dec. 14 that Brothers Market & Meat Mart in Houston has been closed after it allegedly violated the terms of a temporary injunction.
A lawsuit against the market had been filed after the Houston Police Department Narcotics Division purportedly found synthetic drugs sold at the location. A temporary injunction mandated that the store either employ two police officers for security or close the store if two crimes occurred over a six-month span. According to Paxton’s office, six occurred within a six-week period.
The defendants fought the alleged violation, alleging they had leased the store to a third party. According to state law, however, a property owner cannot avoid temporary injunction restrictions by leasing out his or her property.
“My office will not stand by as the health and safety of Texans is endangered by drug peddlers looking for a quick buck,” Paxton said. “The sale of illegal, deadly drugs must be put to a stop. My office will continue to work with local authorities across the state to send a message: businesses who sell these dangerous and illegal substances will not escape punishment.”