AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF RUN, GRACIA BOWS OUT

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Some hated at him, and some loved him.

But regardless of where you stand, there's no dispute that in a few short years – former U.S. Customs agent and later Chief Sheriff Deputy Robert Gracia – overturned Cameron County politics, staged an upset defeat of incumbent Sheriff Omar Lucio and his supporters, and installed his candidate, former District Clerk Eric Garza, as sheriff.

The two men started their run to take over the sheriff's department years before they took office on January 1, 2021. 

They were untiring campaigners constantly on the hustings, shaking down contributors, and building a political support team that overwhelmed traditional Democratic Party operatives. To the surprise of political observers, those efforts took root and Garza beat Lucio in a runoff and later beat Republican candidate John Cambers in the November 2020 general election.

Their stated platform included doing away with political promotions (compadrismo) that they charged were prevalent under Lucio and his top administrators, modernizing the department, and bringing it up technologically to improve efficiency.

But Garza and Gracia knew they were taking over a department that Lucio and the Reyna brothers – Chief Deputy Gus Reyna and Capt. Javier Reyna – had structured to keep Lucio in office, allegedly in  tandem with the county commissioners. According to Gracia that's when their trouble started.

In his resignation letter effective August 15, Gracia points his finger directly at the actions of the Cameron County Commissioners Court, its Civil Legal Division, and an entrenched staff  that thwarted his plans to modernize and institute "reforms" in the department. These actions, he said, eventually resulted in a flurry of lawsuit and counter lawsuits that still remain unresolved in state and federal courts.

The controversies eventually led to friction within the department, with Garza's political associates scheming to replace Gracia, his friends said. That alienation from Garza and the his removal from his administrative duties told him it was better to go.   

"It is with deep regret that I submit this notice of resignation," the letter begins. "It has been an honor to serve the residents of Cameron County as chief deputy and to assist you with the role do sheriff..."

"However, the arbitrary and  capricious actions of the (commissioners court) have prevented us from instituting then promised reforms as the sheriff's office," Gracia wrote. "Since beginning my position as chief deputy (the commissioners) and their Civil Division have done everything in their power to thwart progress, thus preventing the sheriff's department from properly serving the public."

In his letter, Gracia claimed that his resignation came about as a result of the commissioners' actions that included, but were not limited to:

* Attempting to illegally usurp the sheriff's office authority over courthouse security by filing lawsuits against the sheriff's office and you (Sheriff Garza) to usurp that authority;

*Threatening a default judgment against me personally in ongoing litigation filed against my official capacity unless I waived any conflict of interest with the Civil Legal Division;

*Refusing to provide any legal defense in lawsuits where I was sued in my official capacity and threatening not to provide any legal defense in lawsuits where I was sued in my individual capacity for actions taken within the course and scope of my employment;

*And freezing all vacant jailer positions preventing the sheriff's department from filling these positions that resulted in staffing concerns that threaten the health and safety of both inmates and staff.

That, Gracia concluded, led him to decide that "it is in my best interest to respectfully resign...I wish you the best and thank you for allowing me to serve my community and to be part of your administration."