SAN ANTONIO – The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has filed a criminal case with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office in connection with the transportation of 49 migrants from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard in September 2022 by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration.
“The charge filed is unlawful restraint and several accounts were filed, both misdemeanor and felony. At this time, the case is being reviewed by the DA’s office. Once an update is available, it will be provided to the public,” BCSO said in a statement.
During the early stages of the investigation, Salazar certified that the migrants, who were mostly Venezuelans, were victims of a crime.
The migrants said they were convinced to board the airplanes to the vacation spot in Massachusetts by a woman known only as “Perla,” who offered them jobs, housing and education if they went to Massachusetts.
The announcement by BCSO comes the same day as reports surfaced that several dozen migrants were transported from El Paso to Sacramento, California, for the second time in four days. The California attorney general blamed DeSantis for the transports.
DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales released the following statement on Tuesday regarding the filing of the case:
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has now filed in our office a criminal complaint and the results of their investigation regarding the transport of migrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha’s Vineyard Massachusetts.
The complaint will undergo our normal and meticulous intake review. The process of determining whether enough evidence exists to charge anyone with a crime and convince a jury of Bexar County citizens “beyond a reasonable doubt” that a crime has been committed may be lengthy and labor-intensive under the best of circumstances.
If a review of the facts reveal that a felony offense has been committed, we will present that case to a grand jury for their deliberation.
As always, our review will be thorough and our office will follow the law.