Last month, about 50 migrants were flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, in two planes organized by Florida Republican governor Ron DeSantis as part of a political stunt to bring attention to the federal government’s immigration and border security policies.
A migrant who had been living on the streets of San Antonio, Texas, said that a woman named “Perla ” offered him clothes, food and money in exchange for finding other people who would go on a flight to Massachusetts, according to CNN. The recruiter was unaware of any deception and later felt betrayed by “Perla,”
Now the newtwork is reporting that it has identified the woman as “Perla Huerta, who served as a counterintelligence agent and combat medic specialist in the US Army until August.”
A friend of Huerta confirmed to CNN the woman in a photo provided to CNN by a migrant is Huerta. Other migrants have identified Huerta from pictures taken of her in San Antonio, The New York Times reported, citing Rachel Self, an attorney who represents the migrants.
Attorneys for the migrants have filed a class action lawsuit, saying they were misled in agreeing to the flights after being told they’d arrive to housing, jobs and help with the immigration process; no one on Martha’s Vineyard knew they were coming, local officials have said.
RELATED: DeSantis Could Face Human Trafficking Charges Over Migrant Stunt.
“Perla” is named in a lawsuit filed by a group of migrants who were transported from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, according to court documents. Her full name is not included in the court filing. The lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts federal court on September 20.
The Sheriff’s Office in Bexar County, Texas, which includes San Antonio, will open an investigation into the flights to see whether any laws were broken, the sheriff has said.
