BROWNSVILLE — The Cameron County Sheriff’s Deputies Association has submitted a letter of “No Confidence” to Sheriff Eric Garza pertaining to his Chief Deputy Robert Gracia and Capt. Abraham Rodriguez.
The letter states there have been “numerous and persistent issues and problems that have come to exist at the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office during the period in which you (Garza), and your Chief Deputy have been in leadership.”
The association said it believes problems are due to Gracia and Rodriguez’s failure to provide “effective, competent, truthful, compassionate and trustworthy leadership in the department.”
The association delivered the letter to Garza Friday morning.
Garza responded to the letter stating, “This letter is more of the same! It is a letter outlining resistance to change. The Cameron County voters elected me to bring change and increase efficiency at the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office.”
Also in his response, Garza said he is working to get the county’s jails in compliance with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and will continue the path forward to modernize the department until the safety of his deputies and the public is accomplished.
“I will not back down from my responsibilities as the Sheriff of Cameron County, and I will not be intimidated by Cameron County Politics or threats, wherever they may come from,” Garza stated. “I cannot and will not bend to Cameron County politics or inter-office politics.”
He went on to state that he serves the citizens of the county and will represent them to the best of his ability.
Garza took leadership of the sheriff’s department on Jan. 1.
The association’s list has 16 reasons why it issued the “No Confidence” letter. Some of the reasons, the association said, include the following claims:
>> The Chief Deputy’s inexperience in state law enforcement.
>> Extremely low staff morale.
>> Chief Gracia and Captain Rodriguez’s disregard of staff’s knowledge and experience.
>> Captain Rodriguez’s failure to properly staff the patrol division, and to have enough personnel to patrol and protect the citizens of Cameron County.
>> Chief Gracia and Captain Rodriguez’s continued harassment, threatening actions and remarks of personnel and political retaliation of personnel who supported the previous sheriff administration.
>> Chief Gracia and Captain Rodriguez’s outright refusal to establish a proper and written chain of command or leadership structure. Their unwritten policy of having probationary deputies issue directives and orders to Captain’s Lieutenants, Sergeants, and Communications personnel.
>> Chief Gracia and Captain Rodriguez’s continued policy of accusing personnel of committing crimes, and violating their civil rights by not advising them of Miranda Warnings and preventing personnel from using their Constitutionally protected “Garrity Warnings.”
According to Wikipedia a Garrity Warning is “an advisement of rights usually administered by federal, state, or local investigators to their employees who may be the subject of an internal investigation.”
The letter also mentioned several civil rights lawsuits that have been filed against Gracia and Rodriguez.
Gracia and Garza are named in two federal civil lawsuits filed against them by sheriff department employees. The first lawsuit was filed in April by Sgt. Rodrigo Almanza who alleged the two violated his civil rights. Almanza said the two violated his right to free political speech after he supported incumbent Sheriff Omar Lucio in the 2020 sheriff’s race.
The second lawsuit was filed in May by Captain Javier Reyna who claims that Garza is retaliating against him because he supported Garza’s opponent Omar Lucio in the November 2020 sheriff’s race.
Both lawsuits are pending in federal court.
A copy of the letter is to be delivered to the Cameron County Commissioners Court, County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement and the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas, the association stated in its letter.
