San Antonio, Texas — SAN ANTONIO – Cold temperatures did not stop alleged “Johns” from showing up along Austin Highway this week, where Bexar County deputies were running a sting operation called “Police Navidad.”
The sheriff’s office says the corridor has become a growing source of complaints involving prostitution, gangs, and theft.
Deputies set up undercover operations during the day.
“We’re out in broad daylight right now. Our undercovers are out in plain view, and what we’re doing, quite frankly, is we’re waiting for the lunch hour to hit. That’s the prime working hours for this sort of activity,” Sheriff Javier Salazar said.
From a nearby command center, deputies monitored who approached the undercover officers and what offers were made. One sergeant even joked about holding wedding rings for undercover female deputies.
“One of the deputies there is actually the husband of one of the undercovers, and he showed me, he pulled out and jokingly showed me, he’s got a necklace on, and he’s got all of their wedding rings on his necklace. They all took their wedding rings off and handed them to him for safekeeping,” he said.
Salazar says the goal is not just arrests but protecting women caught in dangerous cycles of exploitation.
“It is not Pretty Woman in these cases. Some of these women are at the very least trying to feed an addiction, and if you are victimizing somebody like that, you are capitalizing on that addiction. You are taking advantage of a person who may not be in their right mind,” Salazar said.
He added that some women in the area are being trafficked, forced into prostitution, and unable to leave. During the operation, one man who tried to walk away and board a VIA bus was arrested moments later.
The sheriff described the Austin Highway corridor as an area where upscale neighborhoods sit next to spots that draw criminal activity.
“There are some areas that are a little seedy, and then just a few blocks over, million-dollar homes. We want to keep every neighborhood safe and sound. Kids walking around to school on a daily basis,” he said.
During the ride-along, deputies made additional arrests, including suspects in a mail theft case and a man wanted on a felony warrant. Salazar said that it is common in these stings.
In July, Operation Unlucky Strike led to 30 arrests. Last week, Operation Street Sweep resulted in 11 more arrests tied to solicitation and related crimes.
“The majority of those folks are US citizens, out probably in their mind pursuing just having a good time, not hurting anybody. But again, what they’re doing is they’re helping to feed this industry of human trafficking,” Salazar said.
He emphasized that success is measured not by arrest numbers but by reducing criminal activity in the area.
“If somebody’s out here conducting criminal activity, our job is to catch them and take them to jail,” he said.
The sheriff’s office hopes the visibility of these operations deters future crimes.
“The sheriff’s office hopes that by people seeing that they’re out on the streets on operations like this one, they will think twice before they head out and try to commit a crime,” Yami Virgin reported.