Overview
- Federal Border Patrol agents stopped an off-duty Bexar County detention deputy and found an undocumented immigrant in his vehicle, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection took him into custody on suspicion of smuggling.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection is conducting a criminal investigation into the stop while the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is running a separate internal review of the deputy’s conduct.
- The sheriff’s office has placed the deputy on unpaid administrative leave and said it will issue a notice of proposed dismissal under county procedures.
- Sheriff Javier Salazar publicly said his intention is to remove the deputy from the agency and that “He will never wear this uniform again.”
- The federal probe could lead to charges or referral to prosecutors, and the sheriff’s office will review criminal-investigation records as it pursues disciplinary action, raising questions about oversight and accountability for officers who allegedly assist unauthorized border crossings.