Cornyn, Gohmert Follow Up on Former Mexican Official’s Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A couple of lawmakers are following up on an incident in which a former Mexican government official was released from custody after being arrested in Tyler. The case involves 41-year-old Hector Hernandez Javier Villarreal. Sen. John Cornyn’s office says Cornyn has made an official inquiry with DHS, ICE, and the U.S. Department of State. Cornyn (pictured) remarks, “Fugitives can’t be allowed to slip through the cracks because federal agencies fail to communicate and coordinate with one another, and we need to get to the bottom of what happened here.”

Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert sits on the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee. Gohmert told Fox News he�ll be calling for congressional hearings to look into who exactly ordered the fugitive�s release. Gohmert said he had been told that State Department officials released Villarreal because he entered the country on a valid U.S. visa, even though Gohmert says as an international fugitive, he should have been deported. Gohmert also wants to know why Villarreal was granted a visa days after posting $1 million bond following his arrest in Mexico. The visa Villarreal was granted was an EB-5, which is given to foreigners who invest at least $500,000 in a business venture. During an immigration subcommittee hearing Wednesday, Gohmert said, “I’m open to any suggestions as to how we correct this kind of fiasco from happening.”

The State Department recently ordered the release of Villareal from custody after a Tyler traffic stop. One day after being told to release Villarreal, the former secretary executive of the Tax Administration Service of Coahuila, Mexico, and his 28-year-old wife, Maria Teresita Botello, authorities said they are once again searching for the couple. Smith County sheriff�s deputies arrested the couple, and federal officials transported them from the Smith County Jail to the ICE office in Dallas. After their arrest, the State Department ordered their release.

Villarreal and Botello are wanted for the embezzlement of hundreds of millions, possibly billions, of dollars through Villarreal’s office in Coahuila. Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith said in regards to the release, that some people just make mistakes and the paperwork to keep the fugitives was not received in time.