.jpg)
A criminal drug interdiction operation by the West Side Task Force in the early hours of Tuesday, Oct. 20, landed one in jail and three individuals presumed unarmed unaccounted for, according to the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office.
Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop around 2:51 a.m. near Interstate 10 Eastbound at mile marker 685 just east of Weimar, prompting four male occupants of the vehicle to flee south on foot. Around 5 a.m., Austin County Sheriff’s Office took one individual into custody with the assistance of ACSO K-9 Knox and a drone. The search was then called off.
Bryon Moises Reyes Escobar, 43, was booked into the Colorado County Jail on charges of fleeing a police officer (a class B misdemeanor) and smuggling of persons (a third-degree felony). At the time of press, Reyes Escobar remained in Colorado County Jail and did not have a bond set.
The remaining three individuals have not been located as of CCSO’s notification at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
“Law enforcement officials believe that the individuals may be unarmed; however, there is information indicating they could be in the country illegally, though their immigration status had not been independently confirmed,” the office said.
CCSO urged residents in the surrounding areas to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity or tips to the office at 979-732-2388 ext.1 dispatch.
The case is still an active investigation. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
