San Marcos Officer Placed on Leave Following Arrests Linked to ICE Detainer

A San Marcos police officer was placed on administrative leave earlier this month after the arrest of two San Antonio residents during an incident in March, according to city officials.

On March 14, San Marcos Police Department officers responded to a call from a mother who reported that a 15-year-old girl was attempting to leave her home near the 1800 block of Post Road. The mother alleged that an unidentified older man was waiting in a red pickup truck outside her residence. Officers were unable to determine if the girl had left the house before they arrived on the scene.

Police located a truck matching the description near Aquarena Springs Drive and Charles Austin Drive. Officers, including Jaciel Cortina, attempted to communicate with the driver, Esteban Reyes, 17, using a loudspeaker. When there was no response from Reyes, additional officers were summoned to assist. Police approached the vehicle and physically removed Reyes from the driver's seat, though the city has not specified which officer performed this action.

Authorities later determined that the 15-year-old girl remained at home throughout the incident and that no crime had taken place. Despite this, both Esteban Reyes and his father, Gerardo Gonzalez Reyes, 44, were booked at the Hays County Law Enforcement Center for allegedly interfering with public duties. Jail records show that the younger Reyes was released the same day on $2,000 bond.

After Gerardo Reyes was processed at the jail, it was discovered that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had issued an immigration detainer for him. City officials stated the officer was unaware of this detainer at the time of the arrest. Gerardo Reyes was subsequently placed in ICE custody, with local reports indicating the transfer drew community protests.

Officer Jaciel Cortina is currently on administrative leave pending an internal review of the incident. The San Marcos Police Department's investigation remains ongoing.