March 12, 2010

40 Mile Chase in Refugio County of 40 Undocumented Persons

Written by Steve Broussard

The Refugio County Sheriff's Office Chased 3 Vehicles.

It began in Lamar Texas just about 30 miles from Refugio at 1:30am

A convenience store clerk reported that several men had purchased large amounts of a sports drink and advised dispatch that they were possibly undocumented persons.

The Refugio county sheriff's office chased 3 vehicles. 2 pick up trucks and a Chevy Impala...

The vehicles would not slow down or stop in the chase down highway 35, and 2 of the vehicles were also interfering in the chase.
The chase went on for over 30 miles onto highway 239 then to 77 north.

One of the vehicles, the Chevy pick up had been reported stolen from Katy Texas...

Victoria sheriff officers were dispatched as the chase was leading to Victoria County.

Just before the San Antonio River on highway 77, sheriff officials say that 20 immigrants jumped out of the vehicle and ran into the field.

A helicopter from DPS in Corpus Christi was dispatched to the scene that used thermal imaging to locate the immigrants.

One had jumped in the San Antonio River.

Just before 7am, the suspects were apprehended in the field, some were cold and bare footed. One was treated by EMS Officials, because he was found in the water.

However he was later released another was bleeding from a cut sustained in the chase.

According to the Rio grandee border patrol the un-documented immigrants were from Guatemala and Honduras.

The immigrants were sent to Corpus Christi to be processed by Border Patrol Agents.

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