BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that it will not pursue criminal charges against two people involved in the transport of migrants from San Antonio to Massachusetts in September 2022.
Previous KSAT reporting indicated 49 migrants, who were mostly from Venezuela, were flown to Martha’s Vineyard courtesy of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
At the time, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) filed unlawful restraint cases against two people accused of “coordinating travel arrangements and transporting” the migrants to Massachusetts, according to prosecutors.
Sheriff Javier Salazar said he believed the migrants were “lured” from the Migrant Resource Center, which was located on San Pedro Avenue, with the understanding they would get jobs and housing if they got on the plane.
The Migrant Resource Center has since closed in February.
After a review of evidence connected to the case, the DA’s Office said there was “insufficient evidence” to pursue unlawful restraint charges.
“As prosecutors, it is our sworn duty to bring charges only when the facts of the case support them,” Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said in a statement. “In this particular instance, we diligently reviewed what was filed and determined there was not enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law that would result in a successful prosecution.”
The sheriff also released the following statement to KSAT on Wednesday evening.
“The BCSO is on the right side of history in this case,” Salazar told KSAT. “These people were preyed upon and mistreated based on their race/nationality, and all for the sake of a political statement. It’s regrettable that the District Attorney feels differently, so I’ll defer any questions as to ‘why’ to his office.”
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