Wednesday's Internet Edition, November 19, 2008.
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One member of the drug task force has been separated from the city and another one has been placed on administrative leave.
Jose R. “JR” Ibarra, assistant task force commander, is no longer part of the task force, and Jaime R. Garza, the long-time task force commander, has been placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation is being conducted, according to Courtney Alvarez, Kingsville City Attorney.
Alvarez declined further information because of what she described as an on-going investigation.
She indicated that the Texas Rangers are involved in this investigation.
The high-profile task force, whose vehicles are a familiar sight along Highway 77, has a staff of 11 agents and office personnel.
Kingsville Chief of Police Ricardo Torres is quick to point out that the task force is not under the jurisdiction of the police department, and he would not comment on the present investigation.
The local task force, which faced extinction several years ago when legislative action abolished state financial support for any drug task force, was rescued when the City of Kingsville agreed to be the sponsoring organization. Task force agents were designated as city marshal and placed under the supervision of the city manager’s office.
However, the city insisted that the task force must generate its own source of income in order to meet its payroll and fund operational expenses.
The drug task force, with an annual budget of over $800,000, derives its revenue from seizures and forfeitures related to drug interdiction operations, particularly traffic stops along Highway 77.
The local task force also assists other law enforcement agencies in the area.
Drug task forces throughout Texas were funded by the Texas governor’s anti-crime program and most operated almost autonomously with little oversight, concentrating their efforts with the war on drugs.
While the task forces were often credited with breaking up drug rings, they also came under criticism for sloppy administrative procedures and improper documentation of their activities.
The South Texas Specialized Crimes and Narcotics Task Force was considered one of the premier task forces in the state with a high arrest rate and plentiful seizures.