A Cuban migrant was arrested along with six other individuals following a police chase on Friday night in Duval County, Texas, after the driver of the vehicle they were traveling in disregarded a stop order and attempted to flee from the authorities.
The Duval County Sheriff's Office reported that among those arrested are four Mexican citizens, one Cuban, and one Honduran, although it did not disclose their identities or immigration status.
According to KRIS 6 News, the incident began around 7:30 p.m. on Highway 359, when a Duval County Sheriff's Office officer attempted to stop a vehicle traveling between the towns of Benavides and San Diego.
The driver, identified as Jesús Gabriel Garza, a resident of the Rio Grande Valley, disobeyed the order and fled, which triggered a chase involving several police agencies.
To stop the vehicle, agents from the Texas Department of Public Safety deployed spike strips before it entered the city of San Diego. The car ultimately came to a stop in the 100 block of East Gray Street.
Garza and the six migrants he was transporting tried to escape on foot but were captured shortly thereafter.
The driver faces charges for human trafficking, evading arrest or detention using a motor vehicle, and reckless driving.
The operation involved the Duval County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the San Diego Police Department, the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Office, and the United States Border Patrol.
Duval County, located about 117 kilometers north of the Rio Grande, is part of one of the main corridors used by migrant smuggling networks to transport people from the border into the interior of the United States.
Cuban migrants frequently appear in these types of operations. In recent weeks, federal authorities have reported several cases related to human trafficking in South Texas, including rescues of migrants and convictions against individuals who transported foreigners under high-risk conditions.
The Duval County Sheriff's Office indicated that the investigation remains open and reiterated that it will continue to work with local, state, and federal agencies to combat human trafficking networks and bring to justice those involved in these illegal activities.
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