KCSO makes Human Smuggling arrest

The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Mexican National on October 26 on five counts of human smuggling, a third-degree felony. Maria Elizabeth De La Rosa, 25, living in San Antonio, is being charged for the crime after KCSO reports she was attempting to transport five illegal immigrants from the U.S. -Mexico border to San Antonio.

The KCSO Patrol Division made a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Kerrville, after an unsafe lane change by the driver of a Ford Edge. Deputies stopped the vehicle and discovered the five male individuals inside the car. All five males were removed from the vehicle with assistance from the Kerrville Police Department.

According to the press release, the driver stated that she had been promised payment for transporting the men to San Antonio. The KCSO Special Investigation Unit (SIU) also assisted with information leading to this arrest.

De La Rosa was booked into the Kerr County Jail and is being held on an immigration detainer. All five illegal immigrants were released to the Border Patrol. Additional charges may be added as this investigation continues, and all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

“There is no doubt the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border is having an effect on Kerr County,” said Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha. The sheriff added that the frequency of these types of cases has increased over the past six months, but KCSO will continue to find and jail smugglers, who are oftentimes tied to cartels and other criminal organizations.