Politics
Former Army counterintelligence officer arranged migrant flights to Martha's Vineyard: reports
Several migrants told attorneys representing them that they were guided onto the planes by a woman named Perla
October 3, 2022 8:10pm
Updated: October 4, 2022 1:30pm
The individual that allegedly helped arrange migrant flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts was identified as former combat medic and counterintelligence agent Perla Huerta by CNN and the New York Times.
Last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took credit for sending two planes full of undocumented migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, following up on his promise to send migrants to Democratic states in protest of the federal government’s immigration policies.
Some of the migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard and immigration activists filed a class action lawsuit was filed against DeSantis and other Florida officials, claiming that they mislead migrants into boarding the flights through false promises.
Several migrants told attorneys representing them that they were guided onto the planes by a woman named Perla.
One migrant who had been living on the streets of San Antonio told CNN that Huerta offered him clothes, food, and money in exchange for recruiting migrants that would fly to Massachusetts. He allegedly claims that she told him to offer the migrants shelter and gave him $10 McDonald’s gift cards to give to the migrants that agreed to board the flights.
“She had told me that the people who were going to Massachusetts, before I sent them, she had told me that they were going to receive them. They were going to be given shelter, a place to stay. They were going to help them with the language, and those who had children, they were going to study,” he said.
“I never, ever knew that (it) was a governor or politician,” the man said. “So, my only will has always been to help people.”
"Perla Haydee Huerta served as a Combat Medic Specialist (68W) and Counterintelligence Agent (35L) in the regular Army from April 2002 to August 2022. She deployed to Iraq from May 2003 to July 2004 and October 2008 to October 2009; Afghanistan from December 2010 to July 2011, September 2014 to January 2015, August 2018 to November 2018 and January 2019 to February 2019; and Djibouti from August 2013 to October 2013," U.S. Army spokesperson Madison Bonzo told CNN Monday. "She held the rank of master sergeant at the end of service."
Huerta was discharged from her post in August, according to The New York Times.
