Photo: ICE Houstpn
ICE has announced that multiple illegal aliens were arrested in connection with a wide-reaching drug trafficking scheme in Houston.
According to ICE, a 29-count indictment has been filed following the arrests of nine men allegedly involved in a narcotics operation that used the U.S. Mail and even a taco truck to distribute illicit drugs. The arrests were made on May 27th.
There are nine defendants in total. Three additional individuals are awaiting their first appearance before a judge, and three others remain fugitives. Those being sought include Mexican national Jose Francisco Garcia-Martinez, Guatemalan national Marcos Rene Simaj-Guch, and Jose Eduardo Morale.
The arrests after HPD said that it would take at least 220 days and cost approximately $4,000 to release records, including bodycam footage, related to several incidents in which ICE was called for assistance. HPD officials claim a significant backlog as the reason for the delay.
From January through April, HPD officers contacted ICE for assistance at the scene of investigations on 22 separate occasions. The $4,000 fee for public records is based on a standard rate of $10 per video and an additional $1 per minute of footage released. These charges are legal and routine, and are only waived or reduced when the agency determines the release is in the public’s best interest.
Texas Scorecard contributed to this report.