Texas
Why Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan went to Texas with Bill Hagerty amid border crisis
A man found dead in Wilson County during January’s snow event sparked a homicide investigation that’s been difficult to move forward.
The case involves undocumented immigrants and is one example of what Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan and other law enforcement leaders claim is the impact of the nation’s “border crisis” on Tennessee.
“We know people with information in this case have left the country,” Bryan said about the death of Octaviano Gonzalez-Ramirez, 40. “We can’t track down these people.”
Bryan, who ran as a Republican, was part of a group of Tennessee sheriffs, county mayors and district attorney generals who recently traveled to the southern border in Texas with U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.
Republicans have blamed Democrats and President Joe Biden for reports of millions of people entering the country illegally.
Republicans have pointed to undocumented immigrants committing crimes against U.S. citizens and taxing law enforcement with illegal drugs, human trafficking and potential terrorists as being part of the immigration crisis that is a polarizing political issue in this year’s presidential election.
Democrats counter that Republicans won’t cooperate on a solution and have killed legislation to establish tougher border policies in order to damage Biden’s reelection bid.
U.S. Rep Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., has said “solving the immigration problem is not in Donald Trump’s best interest as he runs for president,” and that Republicans are using the border issue to help the Trump campaign at the expense of a solution.
Tennessee Democrats have also argued ongoing anti-immigration rhetoric has emboldened dangerously racist views. Such rhetoric was front and center at a recent white nationalist march in downtown Nashville, where masked marchers unfurled Nazi flags and chanted “deport every Mexican” and, “Save the white man.”
Undocumented inmates in Tennessee jails
Wilson County booked approximately 7,800 inmates into its jail between January 2023 and the end of February this year, Bryan said. About 200 of those inmates were undocumented – not overwhelming, but trending up, according to the sheriff.
The Sullivan County jail had seven undocumented inmates in February, including one released to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Sheriff Jeff Cassidy who went on the trip and is also the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association president-elect.
The Sullivan Sheriff’s Office made 63 arrests of persons without Social Security numbers in 2023, Cassidy said.
“The majority of all our drug seizures originate at the Southern border and are distributed via source cities,” Cassidy said. “The drugs simply do not cross the Southern border without cartel involvement.”
Bryan said he saw people swim from Mexico across the Rio Grande instead of using one of the nearby bridges available to enter the country legally in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby, and 12th Judicial District Attorney General Courtney Lynch were among others who went on the trip to Texas.
There were conversations with personnel connected with the local residents, and representatives of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the National Guard and others involved in border patrol.
“We’ll continue the fight we’re fighting,” Bryan said. “I’m all for legal entry into the United States. What is coming across our Southern border (illegally) is directly impacting the citizens of our country, state and Wilson County. … The catch and release program is not working.”
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.
Just days before Mother’s Day, a North Texas father is grieving the sudden loss of his wife and unborn son after she died unexpectedly, only days before her due date. Avi Carey said he is still in shock over the death of his wife, Tiffany, whom he described as his “rock” and “soulmate.”
“Tiffany’s smile, her radiance, her presence … she didn’t meet a stranger,” Carey said.
Nearly two decades together
The couple had been together for nearly two decades, raising two children, Kingston and Kasyn, and preparing to welcome their third child, a baby boy they planned to name Kylo.
Carey said Tiffany began complaining of a severe headache just days before she was due to give birth. He recalled her sitting on the couch, dozing off multiple times – something he said was unusual.
A short time later, Carey found her unresponsive.
“I saw her face … her lips were blue. And I already knew,” he said with tears in his eyes.
A celebration turned to heartbreak
Tiffany Carey and her unborn son died May 2, leaving behind a grieving husband and two children. The loss came less than a week after the family had celebrated a baby shower.
“We went from celebrating the baby shower to planning a funeral in less than five days,” Carey said.
A crisis affecting Black mothers
Health officials say cases like this highlight a broader crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy‑related causes, and most of those deaths – around 80% – are considered preventable.
Carey said he is still searching for answers and now lives with questions about whether warning signs were missed.
“I would say educate yourself. Take everything seriously,” he said. “That should have been a red flag … the headache.”
Honoring Tiffany’s legacy
Now, surrounded by baby supplies meant for a child who never arrived, Carey said he is focused on honoring Tiffany’s memory and raising their children with the values she lived by.
“She always said, ‘You’ve got to lead with love,’” he said. “She did that in everything.”
Trump administration to release UFO files soon, president says
President Trump said his administration plans to release information and materials relating to UFOs.
Ever look up at the vast Texas sky and see something move across it? It could be a shooting star, a satellite — or a UFO.
The Pentagon released several documents Friday, May 8, detailing sightings of unidentified flying objects, or “bogeys,” in U.S. airspace, including reports from Texas.
The documents were released by the U.S. Department of Defense at the directive of President Donald Trump, marking the release of government files related to “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)” and UFOs.
“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a statement.
Here’s a look at the files related to Texas.
UFO spotted in 1948 above Abilene, Texas
A DoD incident summary shows that on Jan. 1, 1948, a man identified as “Mr. A. Schroeder” reported a UFO in the 1100 block of Highland Ave in Abilene, Texas.
Schroeder reported seeing a stationary bright blue-green bell-shaped object in the western sky above Abilene at 1:25 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.
Fort Worth man sees UFO above Alaska
Also in 1948, Lt. Aytch Johnson noticed a silver flat disk in the sky in Fairbanks, Alaska.
According to the incident report, the Fort Worth man observed the object flying over Alaska at around 1:06 p.m. on April 18, 1948, at an estimated speed of 250 to 300 miles per hour.
The report also noted that the sighting “may have been the reflection of sun from wings” of aircrafts flying in the area at the time.
Possible UFO sighting during the NASA Gemini 7 space launch
The DoD released the transcript and audio file of NASA’s Gemini 7 mission in 1965 when astronaut Frank Borman reported to NASA mission control in Houston his sighting of an unidentified object, which he referred to as a “bogey.”
While the launch didn’t take place in Texas, the report came back to space control in Houston.
The conversation occurred on Dec. 5, 1965 — 4 hours and 24 minutes into the flight — when Borman notified space control that there was a “bogey” on their left-hand side.
When asked to clarify what they are seeing, Borman said he was seeing “hundreds of little particles” on their left, about three to four miles away.
As NASA Public Affairs clarified, the bogey was an unidentified object, along with the particles.
Pentagon documents report of other possible sightings in Texas
Some documents have connections or reports of possible UFO sightings in Texas, but are missing details to understand the situation.
For example, the DoD received a clipping from the Yoakum Times-Record reporting UFO sightings by Mrs. Anna Banys in 1947, but it is unclear why she was writing to the DoD.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
Concern over effectiveness of AMBER Alerts
For nearly 30 years, the AMBER Alert has helped locate hundreds of children, but one of its founders believes changes should be made to make the emergency alert system more effective.
Fox – 7 Austin
An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old girl abducted from Louisiana who was last seen in North Texas.
Merlin Chirinos-Argueta was last seen around 7:10 p.m. May 7 in Allen, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Authorities say the teen was abducted from Keithville, Louisiana, and may be traveling in Texas
Chirinos-Argueta is described as a 13-year-old Hispanic girl with black hair and brown eyes. She is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds, officials said.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said Merlin was reported missing Thursday. May 7 from the 6200 block of Bain Boulevard in Keithville. Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. said investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating the teen.
Investigators believe she may be with 18-year-old Daniel Vasquez Mejia, who has black hair and brown eyes.
Merlin has not been in contact with her family, which has raised concerns for her safety and well-being, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.
Authorities say they may be traveling in a white Chevrolet SUV with Texas license plate VML6061. The vehicle is believed to have a skull sticker on the rear driver’s side back window and a “mojo” sticker on the passenger side rear window.
Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or contact the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-675-2170.
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