Federal authorities say a man caught on the Padre Island National Seashore told Border Patrol agents he was trying to disrupt a smuggling attempt because the smuggler hurt his father, and sought to retaliate by turning over eight people in the country illegally to authorities.
The complaint against Angel Tobar-Henriquez also says that two of those people said he represented himself as law enforcement and tried to extort them, and that Tobar told them nothing is smuggled through the Port Mansfield jetties without his knowledge.
The alleged smuggling attempt occurred Tuesday when the U.S. Coast Guard received a call about suspicious activity, including that eight people were crossing the Port Mansfield jetties from south to north, where a white over black Ford F-250 with a cellphone booster was waiting, according to the complaint.
At about 7:30 p.m., a Park Ranger made contact with the vehicle at the 1-mile marker after clocking the vehicle traveling 33 mph in a marked 15 mph zone.
“The driver of the Ford F-250 then parked next to the Park Ranger and waved in order to get the Park Ranger’s attention,” the complaint stated. “The driver then told the Park Ranger that he had six subjects with him and that he was turning them over to law enforcement officers.”
Border Patrol arrived and questioned Tobar, who told an agent that he had left a white Ford F-150 at the end of the Padre Island National Seashore four months prior, and that he received word it was vandalized so he was in the area gathering information, according to the complaint.
Federal authorities then said Tobar changed the conversation to say he had been in the area several times before and knew of a person who would cross people in the county illegally through the Port Mansfield jetties.
He told investigators he had received a call about the smuggling attempt and then told agents he would tell them everything after transporting him to where he would be taken to, assuming he was under arrest, according to the complaint.
“Some of the (people) stated the driver, Tobar … told them that nothing is smuggled through the (Padre Island National Seashore) without him being aware, as if insinuating that he oversees the smuggling operation,” the complaint stated.
During an interview with agents, Tober told investigators he was in the area to disrupt the smuggling event because a known smuggler had previously hurt his father and his intervention was intended to be detrimental, according to the complaint.
The man then claimed to have been at the Padre Island National Seashore four times since November to assist Border Patrol in arresting people being smuggled, authorities said.
According to his story, a friend of Tobar’s was fishing on the south side of the jetties when he called him to tell him a black Ford F-150 appeared to be in a smuggling event while another friend called him to tell him people were being smuggled across the jetties so he decided to drive out, confirm the information and assist Border Patrol, according to the complaint.
“Tobar stated his friend was also assisting with the disruption of the smuggling event and was driving a red Jeep Cherokee,” the complaint stated. “Tobar stated his friend fled when he saw law enforcement … since he was in the United States illegally.”
The man said a young man approached him and asked if he was there to pick them up, to which Tobar said yes, prompting that man to signal the others, six of whom got into his truck and three others who got into the red jeep, according to the complaint.
“Tobar stated they drove north until reaching the five-mile marker, at which point the three subjects got back into Tobar’s truck,” the complaint stated. “Tobar stated he continued driving until he saw the Park Ranger and told him about the subjects in his truck.”
One of the people in the country illegally, a citizen of Guatemala, told agents that Tobar requested they pay more money to be transported and said he was a law enforcement officer who worked for the federal government, according to the complaint.
Another citizen of Guatemala made the same representation, adding that Tobar threatened to turn them in if they did not provide him more money or information he was seeking, according to the complaint.
Tobar was scheduled to make a first appearance Friday money in Corpus Christi in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby.
