Authorities in West Texas are hunting for an alleged Mexican drug trafficker who escaped a jail where he was awaiting trial.
This week, 44-year-old Pedro Martinez broke out of the Mitchell County Jail in Colorado City, Texas, before he could be tried on drug trafficking and money laundering charges.
Initial information released by authorities revealed that Martinez was a dangerous fugitive, however, a subsequent statement by the City of Snyder Office of Emergency Management revealed that the man was “not dangerous,” but urged the public to be cautious if they spotted him.
The jail escape took place at approximately 5:20 am on Tuesday, local TV station KCBD reported. Two months prior to the escape, Martinez’s apparent good behavior had earned him the preferential status of “trustee,” meaning he was allowed to be out of his cell for various duties.
It was during one of those duties when Martinez along with other trusted inmates were unloading food items from a truck when he managed to sneak away from guards. A jailer supervising the inmates noticed that Martinez was missing at 5:28 am and sounded the alarm, KCBD reported.
Details about Martinez’s alleged criminal connections are not readily available.
As part of the manhunt, authorities have deployed aircraft, tracking dogs, and foot patrols. Martinez was last seen wearing an orange prison shirt with white and orange striped pants.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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