The sheriff of Bexar County, Texas, on Monday announced his agency is opening a criminal investigation into how 48 Venezuelan migrants were “lured” to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts last week.
Sheriff Javier Salazar revealed in a press conference that a Venezuelan migrant was allegedly paid a “bird dog fee” to recruit 50 migrants from the migrant resource center in San Antonio. Salazar said the 48 migrants were “lured” to a hotel where they stayed for two days before they were flown first to Florida, then Marthas Vineyard.
“Here we have 48 people that are already on hard times … they are here legally in our country at that point, they have every right to be where they are, and I believe that they were preyed upon,” Salazar said. The migrants were “exploited and hoodwinked” for “nothing more than political posturing,” he said.
After communicating with at least one attorney representing the migrants, Salazar said investigators have identified suspects but that it is too early to release names. He said its still early in the investigation and unclear what specific laws may have been broken, but that local, state or federal charges could apply.
