Authorities in Texas have launched a criminal investigation into Gov. Ron DeSandis’ operation to fly about 50 Venezuelan immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard last week.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a news release Monday that his office is investigating whether the immigrants were victims of crime.
“The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation into the migrants who were taken from the Migrant Resource Center, located in Bexar County, TX, and taken to Florida, where they were eventually released to fend for themselves in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Salazar said, referring to an immigrant assistance center in San Antonio, which is located in Bexar County.
Salazar said his office is working with private lawyers for the immigrants, as well as advocacy groups.
“We are also prepared to work with any federal agencies that have concurrent jurisdiction if the need arises,” added Salazar, who is a Democrat.
Several immigrants said a woman known as “Perla” approached them outside the immigration center and offered them jobs and help if they would fly to Massachusetts. These claims of employment and other opportunities proved false, as Martha’s Vineyard employees were unprepared for their arrival on Wednesday.
In addition, pamphlets given to immigrants indicated that they could receive financial assistance and employment services in Massachusetts. The flyers included the phone number and website for the Massachusetts Office of Refugees and Immigrants. The office said it did not print the flyers, which were shared with the Herald by Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Boston-based legal group that represents some of the immigrants.
“Perla’s” full name and connections have not yet been publicly disclosed.
Brochure Courtesy Lawyers for Civil Rights
DeSantis claimed responsibility for the two charter flights, saying they were made with Florida taxpayer money. All migrants boarded in San Antonio, although the planes stopped in the Florida Panhandle to refuel.
Jeremy Redfern, DeSantis’ deputy press secretary, did not respond to a request for comment.
READ MORE: ‘Easy pickings’: In the Texas town where the Martha’s Vineyard ordeal began, few options for immigrants
Instead, he sent a screenshot of a news story with the headline: “Bexar County Sheriff Salazar says Admin Biden’s handling of immigration ‘isn’t working.’ “
This is breaking news and will be updated.
This story was originally published on September 19, 2022 at 6:02 pm.
Sarah Blaskey is an award-winning investigative reporter for the Miami Herald and the data specialist for the investigations team. He is the co-author of “The Grifter’s Club: Trump, Mar-a-Lago, and the Selling of the Presidency” and holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Journalism.
Nicholas Nehamas is an investigative reporter at the Miami Herald, where he was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team that cracked the Panama Papers in 2016. He and his Herald colleagues were also named a 2019 Pulitzer finalist for the series “Dirty Gold, Clean Cash.” He is the co-author of two books: “The Grifter’s Club: Trump, Mar-a-Lago, and the Selling of the Presidency” and “Dirty Gold: The Rise and Fall of an International Smuggling Ring.” He joined the Herald in 2014. Support my work with a digital subscription
