By Juan Montoya
Across the United States, the U.S. Department of Justice – through its local U.S. Attorney's offices – annually awards much-coveted and respected agent awards to non-DOJ employees for their contribution to their prosecution of federal laws and statutes.
For local police, sheriff, and other law enforcement departments and larger agencies like the Texas Department of Public Safety, garnering one of these awards is a cherished honor they would give their eye-teeth for.
It is an award that highlights one of their employees as top-notch investigators recognized by the federal government for helping them prosecute criminals and protect victims.
Federal sources – and others close to the Cameron County Commissioners Court who have heard of this – confirmed that back in May 2021 both Sheriff Eric Garza and his chief Deputy Robert Gracia, refused to sign on to the prestigious award from the local Ass. U.S. Attorneys' Office that federal prosecutors wanted to present to Sgt. Rodrigo Alamanza for his help in prosecuting a man accused of the human trafficking of a 21-month old baby.
So almost a year later, the award was mailed to the sheriff's department instead of being awarded in a ceremony.
According to federal prosecutors, it was Almanza's testimony in federal court that helped to convict coyote Rodolfo Vento and after a jury convicted him Judge Fernanado Rodriguez Jr. sentenced him to prison for 10 years . Almanza's testimony was crucial in helping to convict the human trafficker.
The man was tried in local federal court in 2019. An appeal by Vento to overturn his conviction was denied by a federal appeals court on March 2020. https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-vento-2
Garza and Gracia – the latter a former U.S. Customs Service agent – have refused to sign on to have their department investigator recognized by the DOJ even after prosecutors provided them the facts and proof of Almanza's contribution to the man's conviction. In disbelief, federal prosecutors extended the deadline to give them information they requested before they signed on, to no avail.
Did they refuse to acknowledge the federal prosecutors because they have both had been sued by Almanza in federal court for retaliation and violating his rights to free speech because he had publicly supported former Sheriff Omar Lucio against Garza?
Is this just another example of the retaliation that Almanza alleges in his federal lawsuit? If it is, it points more and more to the petty nature of the top echelon of the county's sheriff's department.
Neither Almanza nor his attorney David Willis would comment on this issue.
On May 28, 2021 Llanos-Salinas from the U.S Attorney's office nominated Almanza for an agent award for his participation in a smuggling case where the 2-year-old infant was abducted. According to the federal prosecutor, Almanza's involvement in this case was critical to the rescue and the apprehension of the suspect found guilty by a federal jury.
The problem is that the nomination needed to be signed by the department head, yes, Sheriff Garza. Federal prosecutors tried all means to get Garza to sign, but he refused. They then contacted Chief Deputy Gracia who said he needed to read the case file. The file, since it involved a minor, had already been closed, but the federal prosecutor provided him all the information he requested. Gracia, however, said that he didn't have enough information and refused to sign.
It would seem that Garza and Gracia completely lost their common sense, or were they are just giving Almanza more and more ammunition for his case?
As is their wont, this appeared to be a case of them cutting off their nose to spite their face. Or is this just another example of the pettiness and hostility that sheriff department employees have been complaining about since the new administration – which appears clueless on how to run a department or treat its employees – exhibited since they took over?
Regardless of how the Almanza – and other civil rights lawsuits against Gracia and Garza – turn out, it is abundantly clear that support of local law enforcement men and women is not what these two have in mind for Cameron County. Rather, they have made it clear that they will embrace pettiness and backbiting rather than commending one of their own employees for a job well done in protecting victims of crime like the kidnapped infant.
Who's acting like children now?
24 comments:
and the county commissioners? they can ged rid of this pestilence once and for all...
Quieren llorar. Garza and gracias, neither of the two know how to read or write.
They will never be in office again.
Complete failures.
Y Mamaloiue? Where has he been seen all week, maybe he's working an undercover assignment for his pappi el Chapo Sauceda? El Chapo pleasures himself by looking at all the pictures that he orders of himself on all those BPD Facebook pages. Maybe he's running for mayor someday. Look at me, I bought a coffeemaker for my guys! Look at me, I took a picture with a real police chief in San Antonio. Look at me, I bought lunch for the kids! Look at me, I assigned a guy to the gym who took his husband on out of town training in a city owned car without permission. Did I remember to pose for a picture today??? Does anyone know when Mamalouie is getting promoted to assistant chief? Does this mean Momalouie's girl, Nancy is also getting promoted too? And you wonder why so many have retired in such a short period? Its not all great as he thinks it is.
Es que somos envidiosos. Nada mas pensamos que nosotros debemos tener lo mejor y los otros NO.
Los otros que se jj........n.
Pero nosotros NO.
The whole state is making jokes about these two clowns with badges and pistolas bola de idiotas
@ may 7th 10:20
Vato nobody gives a fuck about the police chief lol give it a rest
Frank Mason for sheriff
Contreras 2024
Not Surprised you are writing about it. Almanza pays you for it. I wonder if the Feds know about Almanza's family being linked to the crooked Governor of Tamaulipas? Everyone knows from both sides of the Rio Grande.
Congratulations to Sgt. Almanza, thank you for helping put away that SOB who trafficking a baby! But, I guess Sheriff Garza doesn't care...if that was his own child. Isn't his child about the same perfect age that traffickers are looking for???
sorry that the Brass at the SO Dept can't acknowledge it. Sorry that you work for a Dept that instead of looking out for their community, their constituents and keeping the law....they rather act like children and be all butt hurt that a Sgt. Under Sheriff Omar Lucio did well. They are complete loosers that are worthless. They haven't done a single good thing for this community. What a shame.... I hope that 2024 gets here quicker so I can vote for a new Sheriff. We need a Sheriff that will up hold the law, not think he is above the law.... we need a Sheriff that will fight for his Deputies, Communication Officers, Jailers and all that work for him. We need a honest Sheriff one with TRANSPARENCY. not a Rata! That does so many shady,back door business. Your office staff doesn't need un marked units or department issued cell phones.
You just can't understand what you are doing. Do us a favor and just RESIGN!!!!
I haven't seen a slight like that since J.P. Montoya was kept in the dark about an award he heroically earned at the Queen Isabella collapse. Your career is going down the tubes Sheriff. Resign.
Everyone heard arguments between Javier Reyna and Almanza. Demanding a Supervisor position for his financial support of Reynas campaign. Evidently he got it. That shows the corruption of the previous administration. State facts.
The problem with Sheriff Garza is that he has made it clear he only cares about Silver, Cornejo, the 3 clerks (the fat one Jessica, the other fat dark one that is the slave of the other white girl Kleimer who is sleeping with the Sheriff) and Ram. Everyone else in the department comes after them. Meanwhile the Sheriff is trying to use the 2 Capt positions to get liquidated to give his special clerks a raise, senior supervisors get screwed over. Imagine that, the Sheriff backing up a bunch of wannabe cop civilians instead of actual peace officers. I can’t wait to see their faces in re-election when they lose and a new admin comes in and transfers these civilians the same way they’ve transferred Deputies and innocent clerks around. Karma is coming to collect Eric, fear what you don’t know.
On the bright side, one more month with Gracia and only two more years with Garza. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
As for this being a cherished honor? No, I don't think so. Just do what you're paid to do.
dad tried to correct his foster kid, couldn't do it FIRE HIM little boy.
“Neither Almanza nor his attorney David Willis would comment on this issue”. Seriously Almanza do you think we are all dumb? That quote backfired on you because it’s obvious this was funded by you LOL. But it’s ok now with the old man gone who is gonna celebrate your achievements? Which in reality old man Lucio only gave a shit about you since you were always paying for his food and helped with his campaign. And to think, some of us we’re actually starting to feel bad for you! Watch the next post defend “fake rank” Criszanto or Captain “dumb” Rodriguez!
Sheriff’s office is a mess…..it didn’t work. Time for change.
Damn Eric, you, that POS Gracia are nothing but a bunch of back stabbing cowards. Too bad that the citizens of Cameron County have to put up with you for a couple more years. Looks like Gracia is still there since you don't have the balls to get rid of him even though the honeymoon is over. Just because you might have the balls to get rid of him, you're still a very lousy sheriff!
@ May 7, 2022 at 10:20 AM
Que cosas, no? Here you are worried where he is at and what he's doing and he could give two shits about you.
Hahahaha.
CHD is an offshoot of the obsessive-compulsive family of disorders and is certainly one of the most dangerous. An individual suffering from CHD will respond to a wrong, or a perceived wrong, as a lethal threat to their personal well being and will begin a process of incrementally exaggerating the magnitude of the personal affront, or perceived personal affront, until they can justify to themselves the death of the object of their hatred. While it is true that people suffering from CHD rarely go through with the killing, they are prone to repeatedly try to encourage others to hate the individual in question to the same degree as them, and hopefully respond with a physical manifestation of that hatred.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.phpterm=CHD%20%28Compulsive%20Hatred%20Disorder%29
May 8, 2022 at 1:33 PM
Sorry, must be a meskin we like clown shows here.
What about bailiff Luis Garduno? He reported a post to Facebook so they could take it down, before his chambers, his judge, and the Sheriff's Office found out. The post on Facebook, was a picture of him working security at Urban Air and stated the following "If you know this cop, he works at Urban Air, watch out he flirts with little underage girl's who work here, and also likes to discriminate on disability people."
Isn't he commissioned by the Sheriff's Office? Isn't that bad publicity to the Sheriff? Garduno didn't want his chambers or judge, and the Sheriff's Office to find out about the situation so reported to Facebook as fast as he could so they could take down the post.
I can’t trust a guy that spends a majority of their time in Mexico with politicians.
El que to tranza no almanza
Del Bosque 2024! You have the support of the office and the county
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