⏱ 2 min read
Jailene Marisol Reyes, a 28-year-old San Antonio woman, was involved in a brazen hostage-taking scheme that began on August 4, 2024. Reyes made a phone call to a man, demanding a $6,000 ransom in exchange for the safe return of his fiancée, who was being held at Reyes’s house. The victim was allegedly being smuggled into the United States and was being held for payment. Reyes worked for Spencer Garnett Demps, aka ‘Chucky’, and assisted in the smuggling of illegal aliens.
Reyes’s demands were clear: pay the ransom or the fiancée would be sold to other people. The man contacted the authorities, and with the help of the San Marcos Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, a meet-up was arranged between the man and Reyes. During the meet-up, TX DPS troopers conducted a traffic stop on Reyes, arresting her and rescuing the hostage. A stolen handgun was also found in Reyes’s vehicle.
Further investigation revealed that Reyes was part of a larger conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens for profit. She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking on January 5, 2026. During the sentencing hearing, the victim testified that she was told she would be sold or sex trafficked if the ransom was not paid.
On the day of sentencing, Reyes was handed a 40-year prison term for her role in the hostage-taking conspiracy. The case was a result of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation led by the U.S. Border Patrol Targeting Unit.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Texas
- Location: TX
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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