SAN ANTONIO (KLIF/WBAP) — San Antonio’s Police Chief is facing criticism over the way his department handled an alleged smuggling bust.
According to court documents, on Dec. 23rd SAPD pulled over the driver of an 18-wheeler. When the officers determined the driver to be nervous and agitated, they took a closer look at the cargo. The officers say that’s when they found 12 people in the cargo bay of the truck.
Investigators say they asked one of the men where they were from, and the man answered, “Guatemala.” That’s when they say they took the driver into custody.
48 year old Herbert Nichols, of Houston, is charged in the case. He allegedly admitted to officers that he picked up the 12 people at a warehouse in Laredo.
What some say is unusual about this case is who is handling it. Instead of letting immigration officials take the case, Chief McManus decided to take the case at the local level. That meant turning the 12 suspected illegal immigrants over to Catholic Charities, instead of ICE agents.
McManus says the decision to handle it that way is made on a case-by-case basis.
Because it is the department’s policy not to ask immigration status, no background checks, no documentation nor contact information was gathered from the 12 people found at the scene.
The Bexar county District Attorney, Nico LaHood, is prosecuting the case. After the suspected illegal immigrants were released to Catholic Charities, their whereabouts are unknown. LaHood says that will make proving his case difficult.
McManus says he has a meeting scheduled with immigration officials to figure out some sort of protocol for these types of situations in the future.
Robyn Geske, KLIF/WBAP, Copyright © 2018
