Texas sheriff recommends criminal charges Ron DeSantis' migrant relocation ... trends now
A Texas sheriff is recommending criminal charges be brought against those who orchestrated two flights of migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last September.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, an elected Democrat, said an on-the-ground operation allegedly lured migrants onto the flights with false promises of jobs and opportunities at the other end.
The sheriff's office has handed District Attorney Joe Gonzales its findings from a criminal investigation into the flights. It's now up to the prosecutor whether to file charges.
Salazar has said he was not investigating DeSantis, a 2024 GOP presidential hopeful, but only those who had direct contact with the immigrants in San Antonio.
Over the week, the same contractor is believed to have transported more than a dozen migrant from Texas to California.
Texas Sheriff Javier Salazar (pictured) of Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, has been leading the investigation into how migrants were rounded up and sent to Martha's Vineyard
DeSantis sent two planes of 50 migrants to the affluent island last September
At the time, DeSantis defended his actions and claimed that the migrants knew exactly where they were going and had voluntarily signed up for the trip
Last fall, Salazar railed against the flights that took off from his city of San Antonio and saw 48 Venezuelans put on private planes to be flown to Massachusetts.
'I believe there is some criminal activity involved here,' Salazar said when he announced the investigation adding that he believed the migrants had been 'preyed upon' and 'hoodwinked.'
'The case filed includes both felony and misdemeanor charges of Unlawful Restraint,' according to the statement released on Monday. '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.'
Prosecutors in Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, will now need to decide whether to follow the sheriff's recommendations for charges to be brought.
With the case now in the hands of prosecutors, there is a very real possibility that criminal probe could ensnare some of the aides of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The migrant relocation program was funded using Florida tax dollars and overseen by James Uthmeier, DeSantis' chief of staff, and public safety czar Larry Keefe.
The Venezuelan migrants who were flown to the wealthy
