A Cuban migrant was detained along with six other individuals following a police chase that ended on Friday night in Duval County, Texas, after the driver of the vehicle they were traveling in ignored a stop order and attempted to escape from the authorities.
According to reports from KRIS 6 News, the incident began around 7:30 p.m. on Highway 359, when an officer from the Duval County Sheriff's Office 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, leading to 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 eventually came to a stop on the 100 block of East Gray Street.
Garza and the six migrants he was transporting attempted to escape on foot, but they were captured shortly thereafter.
The Duval County Sheriff's Office reported that among those detained were four Mexican citizens, one Cuban, and one Honduran, although it did not disclose their identities or immigration status.
The driver faces charges of 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 human smuggling networks to transport individuals from the border into the interior of the United States.
Cuban migrants frequently appear in this type of operation. In recent weeks, federal authorities have reported several cases related to human trafficking in South Texas, including rescues of migrants and convictions of individuals who transported foreigners under high-risk conditions.
The Duval County Sheriff's Office stated that the investigation remains open and reiterated that it will continue working 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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