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Woman who allegedly helped coerce migrants to fly to Martha’s Vineyard identified

According to reports from CNN and the New York Times, the former U.S. counterintelligence agent and combat medic specialist that allegedly helped coerce a group of almost 50 migrants to fly to Martha’s Vineyard last month has been identified.

According to the reports, “Perla Huerta” promised a migrant who had been living on the streets of San Antonio clothes, food and money if he would recruit migrants for the flight to Massachusetts.

Huerta allegedly provided the man with $10 McDonald’s gift cards to dole out to the people that agreed to board the flights.

According to the New York Times, the former U.S. counterintelligence agent told the migrant that those onboard the planes would be a given a place to stay and that children would be well provided for.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took credit for the move as part of his criticism of the federal government’s immigration and border security policies. DeSantis stated in September that the migrants knew where they were going and that they signed a waiver.

Lawyers for Civil Rights, a non-profit immigration advocacy group representing a large portion of the migrants, responded to the report on Monday stating: “As alleged in our complaint, ‘Perla’ played an integral on-the-ground recruiting role in Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ scheme, inducing migrants in San Antonio to fly with false promises of employment, education, and housing.”

The man that agreed to assist Huerta alleges that his only goal was to help people.

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