A Rio Grande Valley man now faces smuggling charges. He led cops on a chase in Duval County. It happened Friday night, according to KRIS 6 News. Six migrants who rode with him are also in custody.
Cops caught Jesus Gabriel Garza after he would not stop his truck. This case shows something. Smuggling routes still cross South Texas roads far from the border. It also shows how fast police teams can team up to stop one.
Deputy A. Garcia tried to pull Garza over. It happened on Highway 359. That road sits between Benavides and San Diego. The stop began at about 7:30 p.m. Garza did not stop. He kept his truck moving as cops chased him down the road.
State troopers threw down spike strips. They wanted to stop Garza before he got to San Diego. The chase ended on East Gray Street. Garza and six migrants jumped out of the truck. They ran on foot.
Cops caught all seven. The six migrants did not have legal status. They came from three countries. Four are from Mexico. One is from Cuba. One is from Honduras.
Garza now faces a smuggling charge. He also faces a charge for fleeing cops in his truck. He faces one more charge for reckless driving too. Smuggling people is a serious felony in Texas.
The Duval County Sheriff's Office said many teams helped. That list names Duval County Communications, Texas DPS, and San Diego police. It also names the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Border Patrol.
Duval County sits along a South Texas route that smugglers are known to use. They use it to move people north. They try to dodge check points near the border. This case shows those routes still cross small towns. They do not just cross big cities.
The case is still open. It is not yet known if more arrests will come. It is also not known where Garza lives in the Valley. El Tejano will update this story as new facts come out.
