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PROGRESO - A CHANNEL 5 NEWS investigation revealed that Progreso police officers are taking documents from Mexican nationals and holding them until the owners pay to get them back. It's unclear where that money is going.
Sources inside the Progreso Police Department confirmed that officers are targeting vehicles with Mexican license plates.
Elbia Alvarez said she was pulled over and forced to visit the town's only bank.
"He had several cars stopped for the same reason. They want money,"Alvarez said.
Alvarez was forced to pay $328 to get her documents back.
Abigail Gomez had a similar story. She had to pay $340.
"They took my documents, then I was taken to the office. They made me get money to pay," Gomez said.
Both Gomez and Alvarez are Mexican nationals. Both said they were targeted. Their documents were held until they paid the cash.
A Progreso police officer admitted that members of the department frequently stop vehicles with Mexican plates. The man did not want to reveal his identity for fear of losing his job.
"They take the license, passport, whatever documents they have and basically force them to pay the fine," the officer said.
The officer said the practice is common. He said officers pocket the cash.
The officer showed CHANNEL 5 NEWS pictures of weekly profits from the fines. The amounts were written on a board inside the police station. He said the police chief, Alberto Rodriguez, instructed him and other officers to target Mexican nationals.
"He says, ‘pull them over. They must have something we can charge them with," the officer said.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS Reporter John Bartell visited the Progreso Police Department to inspect their records and to find out how often the alleged shakedowns happen.
The clerk could not find records of specific traffic stops involving Mexican nationals, including Alvarez and Gomez.
"If this is the name, it does not show in my system," the clerk said.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS presented the findings to Hidalgo County District Attorney Rene Guerra.
"Without that citation, no police officer or magistrate can take any property from any human being or driver (sic)," Guerra said.
Guerra said officers have two options: write a citation, or detain and escort the violator to a court. Otherwise, the officer is breaking the law.
"Without a traffic ticket you can be arrested for official oppression," Guerra said.
"These citations are paper trails for the city, so they can see what their officers are doing and what happened to the money," Guerra said.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS searched records of tickets issued by the Progreso Police Department.
From 2011 to the present, the department issued 2,271 citations. One hundred and seventy tickets were issued to Mexican nationals. Only three of those were marked as paid.
"This is a port of entry. People from other states, from Mexico, even Central America, they go through and just pass by," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said Mexican nationals do not pay their fines. CHANNEL 5 NEWS confronted him about Alvarez's and Gomez's cases and showed him video of the women entering the police station to pay the fines.
"This is the first time that I am hearing of this. I don't know what is going on ... this is new to me," he said.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS asked Rodriguez about the department's policy on cash payments for traffic fines.
"They are not supposed to handle it. The person, if they are in a hurry or they don't want to purchase a money order, they handle everything and put it in an envelope and deposit it into the box," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said he will begin an internal investigation.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS obtained a copy of the Progreso Police Department handbook. The handbook did not list any procedures for pulling over and ticketing drivers. Rodriguez said the handbook is vague.
Texas state law states that drivers must get a citation at the location where the driver was pulled over.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS learned that other law enforcement agencies also are investigating the Progreso Police Department.
Sources inside the Progreso Police Department confirmed that officers are targeting vehicles with Mexican license plates.
Elbia Alvarez said she was pulled over and forced to visit the town's only bank.
"He had several cars stopped for the same reason. They want money,"Alvarez said.
Alvarez was forced to pay $328 to get her documents back.
Abigail Gomez had a similar story. She had to pay $340.
"They took my documents, then I was taken to the office. They made me get money to pay," Gomez said.
Both Gomez and Alvarez are Mexican nationals. Both said they were targeted. Their documents were held until they paid the cash.
A Progreso police officer admitted that members of the department frequently stop vehicles with Mexican plates. The man did not want to reveal his identity for fear of losing his job.
"They take the license, passport, whatever documents they have and basically force them to pay the fine," the officer said.
The officer said the practice is common. He said officers pocket the cash.
The officer showed CHANNEL 5 NEWS pictures of weekly profits from the fines. The amounts were written on a board inside the police station. He said the police chief, Alberto Rodriguez, instructed him and other officers to target Mexican nationals.
"He says, ‘pull them over. They must have something we can charge them with," the officer said.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS Reporter John Bartell visited the Progreso Police Department to inspect their records and to find out how often the alleged shakedowns happen.
The clerk could not find records of specific traffic stops involving Mexican nationals, including Alvarez and Gomez.
"If this is the name, it does not show in my system," the clerk said.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS presented the findings to Hidalgo County District Attorney Rene Guerra.
"Without that citation, no police officer or magistrate can take any property from any human being or driver (sic)," Guerra said.
Guerra said officers have two options: write a citation, or detain and escort the violator to a court. Otherwise, the officer is breaking the law.
"Without a traffic ticket you can be arrested for official oppression," Guerra said.
"These citations are paper trails for the city, so they can see what their officers are doing and what happened to the money," Guerra said.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS searched records of tickets issued by the Progreso Police Department.
From 2011 to the present, the department issued 2,271 citations. One hundred and seventy tickets were issued to Mexican nationals. Only three of those were marked as paid.
"This is a port of entry. People from other states, from Mexico, even Central America, they go through and just pass by," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said Mexican nationals do not pay their fines. CHANNEL 5 NEWS confronted him about Alvarez's and Gomez's cases and showed him video of the women entering the police station to pay the fines.
"This is the first time that I am hearing of this. I don't know what is going on ... this is new to me," he said.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS asked Rodriguez about the department's policy on cash payments for traffic fines.
"They are not supposed to handle it. The person, if they are in a hurry or they don't want to purchase a money order, they handle everything and put it in an envelope and deposit it into the box," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said he will begin an internal investigation.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS obtained a copy of the Progreso Police Department handbook. The handbook did not list any procedures for pulling over and ticketing drivers. Rodriguez said the handbook is vague.
Texas state law states that drivers must get a citation at the location where the driver was pulled over.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS learned that other law enforcement agencies also are investigating the Progreso Police Department.
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