Former deputy arraigned on federal charges

A Cameron County peace officer — charged by federal indictment with lying on a federal form — has always seemed to find a place with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department and other law enforcement organizations despite a tumultuous history, according to the public record and local officials.

Esequiel Sauceda, 31, — who pleaded not guilty Friday to falsely claiming on Dec. 8, 2007 that he was the buyer of three weapons when they were purchased for someone else instead — was a deputy with the sheriff’s department up until his arrest Thursday.

Before his arrest, and from 2004 when Sauceda started his law enforcement career, state public records show that he served as:

• a peace officer with the Port of Brownsville from Nov. 9, 2004 through July 15, 2007;
• a reserve officer with the Indian Lake Police Department from Dec. 18, 2007 through July 13, 2009;
• a temporary jailer with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department from Jan. 3, 2008 through Jan. 29, 2008;
• a peace officer with the Cameron County Park Ranger Division from April 9, 2008 through May 15, 2008;
• a deputy with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department since July 13 this year.

The port fired Sauceda, according to Brownsville Navigation District and port attorney Dan Rentfro Jr.

Rentfro’s recollection is that Sauceda appealed the termination with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education and also tried to stop the dishonorable discharge from being noted in his record. "He (Sauceda) lost the appeal," Rentfro said.

The Cameron County Sheriff’s Department fired Sauceda when he served as jailer, according to the understanding of Cameron County Personnel Director Manuel Villarreal.

But Villarreal recalled that while Sauceda was a jailer, he was going to be hired as a reserve officer with the Cameron County Park Ranger Division. "But we told him (Sauceda) no," said Villarreal, noting that because Sauceda was a jailer, if he worked as a reserve, he would have been entitled to overtime pay. "And then we found out that he (Sauceda) was let go as jailer," Villarreal said.

Neither Rentfro nor Port of Brownsville police Chief George Gavito would say why Sauceda was fired from the port.

A Herald public records review shows, however, that on Sauceda’s last day with the port, July 15, 2007, the Brownsville Police Department arrested Sauceda and charged him with discharging a firearm on Ray Jaime Street at about 3 a.m.

Police Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique said Friday that the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the charge against Sauceda on Oct. 11, 2007 because the DA’s office felt there was not sufficient evidence.

Although arrests may not lead to convictions, Manrrique said that they nevertheless appear on criminal background checks.

Cameron County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Gus Reyna Jr. would not say why Sauceda’s tenure as a jailer ended in January 2008.

Reyna said Thursday that Sauceda was fired from the deputy post on Thursday before his arrest. He was arrested the same day, Thursday, at the sheriff’s department by agents of the U.S Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the firearms’ charge.

As deputy, Sauceda was paid through a state grant to Cameron County called Operation Border Star, which is aimed at securing the border.

Attorney Robert J. Lerma represents Sauceda. Lerma said his understanding is that Sauceda resigned from the sheriff’s department on Thursday and was not terminated.

Lerma, who was retained late Thursday to represent Sauceda on the federal weapons charge, said that it was too early to discuss the case and also noted that he is not aware of Sauceda’s employment history.

Neither Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio nor Reyna would talk to The Brownsville Herald about the case on Friday. Reyna said that the Herald would have to present questions in writing.

Even when presented with questions in writing, neither Lucio nor Reyna said why they would hire a deputy who had been fired as a jailer and who was fired by the port.

"It is the policy of the county and the sheriff not to disclose any personnel matters," Reyna wrote back.

Villarreal said that his department does not conduct background checks on sheriff department employees. "They (the sheriff’s department) do the background checks," Villarreal said.

He added that background checks are mandatory.

"If they don’t? Well, I can’t fire the sheriff," Villarreal said.

Sauceda on Friday pleaded not guilty to the federal weapons charge before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan. Morgan set Sauceda’s bond at $50,000, but required a $2,000 deposit. Lerma said he expected his client to post the deposit later in the day and be released from custody.