San Marcos Police Department officials are praising the teamwork among members of its own officers and staff and those of neighboring law enforcement agencies, following the official announcement of an investigation that resulted in the arrests of three people now charged in connection to charges of kidnapping and the smuggling of undocumented immigrants, as previously reported in the San Marcos Daily Record.
In an updated press release, police said Mason Castillo, Robert Cruz, and Jeremiah Villarreal were arrested on a variety of charges, including smuggling of persons, engaging in organized criminal activity, aggravated robbery, and aggravated kidnapping for ransom/ reward.
The San Marcos Police Department stated that it was the sole law enforcement agency investigating these crimes.
The investigation began in August, when a group of immigrants was smuggled from Mexico to Austin and were kidnapped by force in transit to their destination. San Marcos Police “The investigation took about four weeks until sufficient probable cause was developed to issue arrest warrants on all three suspects and for the issuance of multiple search warrants,” said San Marcos Police Detective, Casey Tennant.
The three men are accused of holding at least 10 undocumented immigrants until they paid them several thousand dollars in cash. The victims told detectives they were held at a home in San Marcos but didn’t know exactly where. After combing through video footage of a business in San Marcos and mapping out a radius that correlated with the time traveled to reach the home, detectives were able to determine where the victims were held.
Police stated that they were also able to identify the suspects through information provided by the victims, along with surveillance video and digital forensics from a cell phone.
According to police, it was later determined that both Castillo and Villarreal had a criminal history for smuggling of persons.
During the early morning hours of Thursday, Sept.7, SMPD officers served warrants at homes located on Academy Street, Hillyer Street, and Lazy Lane.
Several law enforcement agencies helped SMPD conduct this operation safely, including the Hays County SWAT, Department of Public Safety SWAT, Bastrop County SWAT, New Braunfels SWAT and Texas State University Police.
“Due to the threat to the safety of the potential victims being held against their will and the multiple locations being searched, multiple SWAT teams were needed to execute the search warrants safely,” Detective Tennant said.
University Police assisted due to the operation’s proximity to campus.
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.”
No victims were located on the day of apprehension, but evidence was found that corroborated the serious charges that the defendants now face, the press release stated.
Investigators at that time assured the community by way of social media posts and loudspeakers at the scene that the neighborhood is safe.
However, SMPD officials suggested that if the public sees something that seems out of place, speak up and call the police.
SMPD’s non-emergency line is 512-753-2108. Any life-threatening crimes should be reported by calling 9-1-1.
The Daily Record had earlier reported that many area residents had been awakened by the investigation and arrests.
San Marcos Police Department Chief Stan Standridge had also 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.”
On Sunday, Hays County Jail Arrest Records had shows that three males had been arrested in San Marcos by SMPD at approximately 4 a.m. Thursday and that 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 were listed in connection to each of these individuals.
