Frantic 9-1-1 calls and three people in the country illegally who escaped from an RV on Monday resulted in the arrest of a man accused of trying to extort their families, who were held against their will.
Jesus Eduardo Martinez-Barajas, a Mexican citizen born in 1994, is charged with harboring people in the country illegally and made a first appearance in front of a federal magistrate judge Tuesday morning.
The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office responded to an RV park in Alamo after numerous 9-1-1 calls from a person telling authorities he was being held against his will.
Deputies who responded to the area found the people waving him down in the street and provided the deputies information about where they were held and who was keeping them against their will, according to a criminal complaint.
The deputy went to the location and detained a man who matched the description and called Border Patrol.
“Martinez said he lived in the house where he was arrested with his mother and brother,” the complaint stated. “Martinez insisted he had no knowledge of any undocumented noncitizens being present on his property.”
One of the men being held against his will, a Honduran citizen, told Border Patrol he paid $15,000 to be smuggled into the United States and had agreed to pay an additional $3,500 when he arrived in Houston, according to the complaint.
He said he crossed the Rio Grande on May 30 on a raft and was promptly taken to the RV where he was held.
“(He) said his phone was confiscated upon arrival to the RV and was asked for his family’s contact information. (He) said an adult male provided food and threatened harm if any attempts to escape were made.”
This material witness says the people at the house twice demanded his family pay an additional $1,500 to continue north, according to the complaint.
“Fearing for his safety being unable to pay, (he) said he and the others in the RV escaped and called 911. (He) stated once out on the street, they flagged down a deputy and led him to the house,” the complaint stated.
Another material witness in the case, who is also a Honduran citizen, told Border Patrol he crossed the Rio Grande on a raft June 2 and was transported to the RV.
Like the other man, his cellphone was confiscated and he was asked for his family’s contact information, according to the complaint.
“(He) claimed several demands for one thousand five-hundred dollars ($1,500USD) were made to his family, and was told he would stay there until the payment can be made. (He) added he was told by a man on the property that any attempt to escape would result in physical harm,” the complaint stated.
This witness found the cellphone the group used to call 9-1-1.
Martinez is temporarily being held without bond pending detention and probable cause hearings scheduled for Friday.
