Human smuggling investigation leads to police taking three into custody

As part of an ongoing investigation, residents of the city living near Academy Street and Hillyer Street were awakened early Thursday as members of the San Marcos Police Department assisted by other participating units from neighboring jurisdictions, served warrants in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation.

Police and city officials said that the warrants “stemmed from a complex investigation that has been ongoing for several weeks now, involving human smuggling. The investigation began when a group of immigrants being smuggled from Uvalde to Austin were kidnapped by force in transit to their destination.”

According to police, SMPD was the “sole investigative agency concerning these crimes,” as the crimes were first reported to SMPD.

Police said that patrol officers and detectives took these initial reports and other information, and began what evolved into an extensive investigation that spanned weeks.

Before dawn Thursday, police said they had taken all the suspects wanted in connection to their investigation into custody, safely. The SMPD thanked those who had provided collaborative assistance, including the Hays County SWAT Team, the Texas Department of Public Safety DPS SWAT unit and the Texas State University Police Department. In addition, assisting the various SWAT personnel were officers from Bastrop County SWAT and New Braunfels SWAT and the Bastrop.

San Marcos Police Department Chief Stan Standridge thanked his team, calling their efforts an example of “incredible leadership during this investigation and for bringing an end to a group of people who were using gunfire to abduct and hold ransom many undocumented immigrants.”

Police stated that no victims of the alleged human smuggling activity were located during the Thursday operation and apprehension of those named in the warrants.

Police said they did find evidence at the scene that “corroborated the serious charges that the defendants now face.”

One resident commented on Facebook that they happened “to be awake at the time and knew what I heard outside wasn’t normal. It was terrifying. I left at 7 to take my son to school and saw several officers placing a cuffed man into a patrol car.”

Another resident also posted on Facebook that they were two doors down from where the police were situated for the operation portion of the investigations.

The resident stated, “It was all so crazy and we saw three people (two young males and one young female … all what looked to be between 18 and 25) in handcuffs and arrested, being walked away with SWAT. The whole thing (or at least what we saw) lasted ‘about’ an hour and a half.”

In a post later Thursday on the SMPD Facebook page, the department stated that the area “is safe and there is no threat to the public.”

Hays County Jail Arrest Records records show that three males were arrested in San Marcos by SMPD at approximately 4 a.m. Thursday and a series of charges including aggravated kidnapping for ransom/reward-F1, smuggling of persons: likelihood sudden brain injury or death-F2, aggravated robbery-F1 and engaging in criminal activity-F1 are listed in connection to each of these individuals. The Daily Record was unable to confirm at time of press if these are the same individuals taken into custody by SMPD on the strength of a warrant Thursday mornings.

The Hays County Jail records also show that at least one of the males arrested by SMPD did appear before a magistrate and cash/surety bonds of $250,000 were set for each of the charges listed.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.