GCSO respond to possible multi-county Human Smuggling incident

On Tuesday, November 23, at approximately 6:50 a.m., the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office received information regarding a vehicle entering Gillespie County that could be smuggling undocumented illegal immigrants. Gillespie County deputies spotted the car and attempted a traffic stop after observing the vehicle make a traffic violation, according to a press release.

Reports state that the vehicle continued eastbound, despite attempts to pull it over, before stopping in the 10700 block of West U.S. Highway 290. Once the vehicle stopped, five occupants were seen exiting the car and fleeing on foot. Two of the occupants were detained by deputies (one male, one female) and were identified as undocumented illegal immigrants.

The fleeing vehicle eventually crashed after turning onto Upper Live Oak Road and its two occupants (two males) were detained by officers at the scene. Both males were identified as undocumented illegal immigrants.

The four individuals who were detained were transported to the Gillespie County Jail with a U.S. Immigration and Customs detainer. A search for the occupants who fled on foot was unsuccessful.

The individuals who were detained were later transported to Kerr County to be turned over to U.S. Border Patrol agents who will be assuming investigative control. It is believed that the Gillespie County case is tied together with two other cases which occurred in Kimble and Kerr County at roughly the same time.