Invoice Baird
A truck outfitted with Trump flags strikes by way of Eagle Go through the weekend of the “Take Again Our Border” rally.
This text was initially revealed by the Texas Observer, a nonprofit investigative information outlet. Join their weekly publication, or observe them on Fb and Twitter.
The Texas Division of Public Security (DPS) lately arrested two right-wing bloggers driving in a caravan close to Eagle Go after discovering what legislation enforcement described as a plastic bag containing a “white powdery substance,” marijuana and THC edibles of their Mercedes SUV, which additionally reeked of hashish, in keeping with a police report obtained by the Texas Observer through a public data request.
Celeste April Sparks and Jerry J. Pena-Ahuyon, who self-identify as “unbiased journalists,” informed the Observer that they have been stopped whereas giving a tour of the world to members of the United Patriot Occasion of North Carolina, described by police as a militia group, on Jan. 20. Pena-Ahuyon, who goes by Pena, additionally had a Smith & Wesson gun, per the report.
“We form of led slightly convoy. We allow them to observe us,” Sparks informed the Observer by cellphone.
Each Sparks and Pena-Ahuyon mentioned that day was their first time assembly with the United Patriot Occasion of North Carolina. Each mentioned they have been unaware that the group was an armed militia and that they don’t seem to be members.
On the time of their arrests, that they had been touring with militia members who had allegedly pointed weapons at migrants, in keeping with DPS. DPS troopers arrived to analyze stories from a Federal Bureau of Investigation surveillance airplane that migrants have been probably being held at gunpoint, per the report.
In accordance with DPS, Allred has a previous conviction for home assault. The report says that DPS officers have been informed that federal prosecutors “didn’t need to settle for prices on Allred, however later suggested they are going to now settle for federal weapons prices on Allred if he’s encountered once more.”
The encounter with police didn’t deter Allred from taking to Fb to publish about his border actions. On Jan. 21, Allred posted the primary of a number of movies documenting his actions close to Eagle Go. The primary options desert scenes and the Mission Inconceivable theme tune. (Allred couldn’t be reached for remark.)
Regardless of her and Pena-Ahuyon’s arrests for drug possession, Sparks mentioned she travels to Eagle Go and different locations due to considerations about legislation and order.
“You already know, on the migrant heart [in San Antonio] … there have been folks smoking marijuana, and the cops simply form of brushed them off and allow them to maintain strolling on. They don’t penalize them. If I have been to do the identical factor, I’d be locked up, or I’d get a fantastic or a cost or one thing,” she informed the Observer on Feb. 3 on the “Take Again Our Border” ranch rally in Quemado — precisely two weeks after DPS arrested her for possession of a managed substance.
“So if they’d simply train them the identical legal guidelines that we dwell underneath, then it might work — however they’re simply being let in freely, with no management,” she continued.
The police report supplies extra particulars of the duo’s January arrest: A Federal Bureau of Investigation surveillance airplane noticed armed members of a militia patrolling personal property and have become involved about “migrants probably being held at gunpoint.”Responding to the FBI’s name, DPS dispatched an officer. When a DPS sergeant arrived on the scene, the police report says a number of autos raced off—together with the black Mercedes SUV during which Sparks, Pena, and a 3rd particular person have been driving.
The officer made contact with a number of folks, together with the United Patriot Occasion of North Carolina militia president Greg Gibson, who, per the report, mentioned that each one members had come to the border to “assist cease unlawful immigration.”
Sparks denies breaking the legislation. In a video streamed on Jan. 23 to a podcast on Rumble (a right-wing YouTube various), Sparks mentioned that the baggie with the white powdery drug the officer discovered within the Mercedes SUV on Jan. 20 was not hers: She picked it up whereas she was out reporting by the border that very same day. The thought, she mentioned, was to “get fingerprints or one thing of that kind” and perceive “what’s occurring between the border and our migrant heart” in San Antonio.
On the podcast, Sparks mentioned she shared her model of occasions with the police officer: “I had simply discovered that factor.” However, she added, “He didn’t need to hear it.”
On a number of events, Sparks has picked up small baggies with medicine whereas out filming, she mentioned.
Lt. Christopher Olivarez, a spokesperson for DPS, mentioned there are solely two substances with a white and powdery look that could possibly be associated to the alleged possession of a schedule one managed substance: cocaine and fentanyl. However the division’s evaluation lab can take as much as a number of months to finish testing, he mentioned. On the time of an arrest, police can not decide what a substance relies on its look alone.
After the Jan. 20 arrest, Sparks was taken to Maverick County jail and charged with possession of a managed substance and launched on a bail of $10,000. Pena was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a managed substance, and illegal carrying of a weapon and launched on a complete bail of $9,000, in keeping with DPS and a cellphone interview with an official at Maverick County Jail. Sparks’ and Pena-Ahuyon’s instances stay underneath evaluate as of Feb. 6. Officers from the Maverick County district legal professional and county legal professional places of work mentioned no prices had been filed in court docket.
If prosecuted, each mentioned they plan to contest the allegations. Pena-Ahuyon informed the Observer he has a CBD enterprise primarily based in San Antonio and that each one the marijuana-appearing substances discovered within the Mercedes SUV have been CBD and hemp flower. Nevertheless, he informed police that the cookies present in his automobile contained THC, in keeping with the DPS report.
Each Sparks and Pena-Ahuyon mentioned they didn’t level weapons on the migrants or see anybody else accomplish that.
However Sparks informed the Observer that previous to her arrest, she heard some militia members make threatening remarks to a bunch of 5 migrants who have been sitting on prime of a hill. One of many migrants, Sparks mentioned, was 13 years previous and appeared “fairly traumatized” by members of the militia.
“At one level, I hear one man say ‘What are we gonna do with them? Shoot them?’” Sparks mentioned. One other commented about pushing the migrants off a ledge, she added.
“Think about coming from the opposite facet … and now you cross throughout the river to be met up by 5 extra folks with weapons strapped round them, appearing as if virtually like they’re cartel themselves,” she mentioned concerning the armed militia members. “You already know, it was very disheartening and dehumanizing.”
Sparks’ description of the situation is much like a video that Allred posted on Fb, which reveals 5 migrants on a hill close to a ledge overlooking the Rio Grande. In an analogous video uploaded to Instagram, Gibson is seen with the identical group of 5 migrants. Whereas dealing with them, he mentioned, “Y’all look sketchy as shit right now.”
The group’s motto, in keeping with its dwelling web page, is: “By Poll, by alternative. By Bullet if pressured. The Republic can be Restored.” United Patriot Occasion of North Carolina’s web site claims they arrived in Eagle Go from no less than Jan. 20 by way of Jan. 28 for what it calls “Operation Maintain the Line” — a reference to a Nineties navy show-of-force operation in El Paso, which was meant to discourage migrant crossings.
In a cellphone interview with the Observer, Gibson, the group’s president, insisted that nobody along with his group pointed a gun at migrants, and mentioned he denounces violence.
What actually occurred, he mentioned, is that whereas watching folks cross the river from a distance, a “gentleman” along with his group “did use his rifle wanting by way of his scope” in lieu of utilizing binoculars. “It was not a good suggestion, however no he was not pointing the rifle at migrants.”
In January, federal firearms prices have been filed in Tennessee in opposition to Paul Faye, a person who informed undercover brokers that he was planning to journey to Eagle Go as a “sniper” to satisfy a militia group known as the “NC Patriot Occasion,” court docket paperwork present. The FBI and a Tennessee federal court docket official wouldn’t touch upon whether or not the NC Patriot Occasion is often known as the United Patriot Occasion of North Carolina; on-line, the teams use the identical brand. When requested concerning the brand, Gibson mentioned it’s “kind of a generic brand. I imply, it reveals up throughout the web.”
In an preliminary cellphone name, Gibson mentioned he had “completely nothing to do with” the Tennessee man who was arrested final month and didn’t know him. After this story revealed, he referred to as again to apologize. “I didn’t imply to mislead you”, he mentioned, including that he did know Faye, however knew him by the title Gunny. Gibson mentioned they spoke on the cellphone just a few instances, and that Faye by no means talked about committing violence in opposition to police or immigrants.
“I didn’t get that vibe from the man,” Gibson mentioned.
Initially, Gibson mentioned his group will not be the NC Patriot Occasion. In a cellphone name after this story revealed, Gibson mentioned Faye should have been referring to his group — the United Patriot Occasion of North Carolina.
After Gibson reached out to them, Pena mentioned, he and Sparks agreed to voluntarily present a tour in January. The tour, Sparks mentioned, included Shelby Park, the Firefly immigration processing heart in Maverick County, a pecan grove, and a non-public ranch they are saying that they had entry to in addition to an unincorporated space close to Eagle Go the place they mentioned migrants had been crossing.
In a video posted on social media, Gibson recounted what a federal agent informed him in Eagle Go: “If any of those illegals … say they even felt threatened, simply felt threatened by me, then I’d be arrested.” Then, he added, “You may’t again American patriots down after we consider we’re defending and defending our households. And now, you’ve began a combat that you’re woefully underprepared for.”
The 2 bloggers met up with the group on the Microtel in Eagle Go, Pena mentioned, after which drove round collectively. Gibson even introduced his 16-year-old daughter, each Sparks and Pena-Ahuyo mentioned.
Sparks and Pena-Ahuyon mentioned they go to the border to doc “what’s actually occurring”; Pena describes himself as protecting an “invasion.”
However Sparks additionally does occasional safety work. She later labored safety on the Take Again Our Border rally close to Eagle Go on Feb. 3, and has beforehand accomplished what she described as armed “safety missions.”
When requested how she reconciles her function doing safety and journalism, she mentioned: “I don’t know, man. This world has modified us into totally different folks. All I’m looking for is reality in my life and … it simply didn’t look like the media was taking significantly the overwhelming inhumane actions that have been occurring at our migrant heart and down on the border.”
“You already know, anyone’s acquired to see this. The folks acquired to see what they’re not exhibiting us,” she added. Her work, she mentioned, is “journalizing and protesting on the identical time.”
Sparks, of San Antonio, and Pena-Ahuyon, of Cibolo, create movies and social media content material for Past the Masks SA — a right-wing advocacy group that spreads conspiracy theories and has a following of round 1,000 on Instagram and 4,000 on Twitter.
Each Sparks and Pena-Ahuyon additionally attended the Christian nationalist “Take Again Our Border” convoy rally at Cornerstone Youngsters’s Ranch in Quemado on Feb. 3. Along with reporting on the convoy that she participated in, Sparks mentioned that she served on the rally’s 22-person safety staff, the place she assisted with “perimeter checks” and made positive infiltrators (like pedophiles and individuals who do “unhealthy journalism”) weren’t granted entry.
Past the Masks advertises itself as a media outlet reporting on the border and the San Antonio Migrant Useful resource Heart however has additionally engaged in native political advocacy. “As soon as you determine we’re in a religious battle, all the things will make sense,” its Instagram biography reads. “It’s going to be biblical.”
Sparks and Pena painting themselves as journalists — regardless of actively collaborating within the causes that they’re protecting, embedding with or working alongside teams just like the convoy and the anti-immigrant militia United Patriot Occasion of North Carolina.
After their arrests, Past the Masks posted on social media to solicit donations to pay authorized charges. “Past the Masks was out documenting in Eagle Go. Round 4 p.m., we have been swatted with a false report,” the publish learn. “Please maintain us in your prayers.”Every week after his launch from jail, Pena-Ahuyon was interviewed by One America Information about his work as an “unbiased journalist” protecting the “invasion” of the US-Mexico border, which he mentioned is generally his full-time gig—except for his San Antonio-based CBD enterprise. (In a name with the Observer, Pena mentioned he had by no means filed an open data request and didn’t know how you can acquire his personal arrest report from DPS.)
Dan Stewart, a media legislation and ethics professor at Texas Christian College, mentioned anyone can say they’re a journalist.
“The First Modification’s for everyone,” he mentioned. However, he added, “One of many norms of journalism is that journalists don’t take part within the issues that they’re protecting. They’re impartial; they’re observers.”
And people who spew disinformation on-line, or attempt to rile folks up in opposition to focused minorities, he mentioned, “that’s harmful and worrisome.”
Replace February 8, 2024 2:15PM: This story has been up to date with further data obtained from a cellphone name with Greg Gibson after its preliminary publication.
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