Ex-intelligence agent allegedly helped arrange Martha’s Vineyard migrant flights
The woman who allegedly helped Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrange migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard has been identified as Perla Huerta, a former US Army combat medic and counterint👍elligence agent, according to r💞eports.
DeSantis sent the asylum-seekers to the swanky community to show solidarity with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign to bus migrants to Washington, DC, New York ꧑City and Chicago in a bid to pressure Democrats into tightening border policies.
One migrant, who🎀 identified himself only as Luis, previously said he and his family were approached outꦰside a San Antonio shelter by a woman named Perla, who offered them a flight to Massachusetts, support for 90 days, help with work permits and English lessons.
The woman has been identified as Perla Huerta, who served ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚtours in Afghanistan and Iraq and was discha🦋rged last month after two decades in the US Army, , citing her military records.
A person briefed on the San Antonio Sheriff’s Office’s probe into the matter confirmed her identity to the newspaper.
Several of the migrants on Martha’s Vineyard photographed Huerta — who lives in the Tampa area — while they were being recruited in San Antonio, Rachel Self, a lawyer representing the migrants, told the Times.
A friend o🐓f Huerta also that the woman seen in a photo a migrant provided to the network is Huert🔴a.
The two news outlets said they ha🍨ve been unable to reach Huerta.
A man who said he worked with Hue🌼rta told the ♚Times that he first met her on Sept. 10 outside the Migrant Resource Center in San Antonio, where she asked him to help her recruit other migrants.
He said she never mentioned working on behalf of the S🔯unshine State🍎.
“If I haꦡd known, I would not have gotten involved,” the man told the paper, adding that all he was told was that Huerta🧔 “wanted to help people head up north.”
The woman provided the migrants with free meals at♊ McDonald’s and a place to stay at a La Quinta Inn before the flight to ✤Massachusetts, according to the Times.
The asylum-seek🍃ers were reportedly given a folder containing a map of the US and another in the shape of Martha’s Vineyard, as well as a brochure titled “Refugee Migrant Benefits” in English and Spanish, the paper said.
The brochure, reviewed by the Times, promised “up to eigh꧒t months of cash assistance” for “income-eligible” refugees in Massachusetts.
“We were tricked in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico — anꦺd then in the United States,” Carlos G𒁏uanaguanay, 25, who was approached by the woman in San Antonio, told the paper.
The migrants who were recruited in San Anton🌄io landed first in Crestview, Flo🐻rida, and then in South Carolina before reaching Martha’s Vineyard on Sept. 14, the outlet said.
An airline charter company called Vertol Systems was paid $615,000 on Sept. 8 and $950,000 less than tꦦwo weeks later for the flights to Martha’s Vineyard, the Times reported, citing Florida state records.
State officials have ackno𓆉wledged only the initial flights and have not addressed plans for others, 💛the outlet said.
Vertol owner James Montgomerie did not re🃏spond to messages from the paper seekin൩g comment.
