“A direct attack on the principles of our democracy”
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County judge, government officers indicted in vote harvesting case
A lengthy and ongoing investigation by election integrity investigators of the Texas Attorney General’s Office has prompted the arrest of five past and present Frio County officials and one local resident.
The case developed over the course of two years following the last county government election, when Rochelle Camacho prevailed over a field of candidates to fill the seat vacated by retiring County Judge Arnulfo Luna.
A Frio County grand jury handed down six indictments during a special session on Thursday, May 1. The following day, warrants were signed for Frio County Judge Camacho, former Elections Administrator Carlos Segura, Pearsall City Councilors Ramiro Trevino and Racheal Sepulveda Garza, Pearsall Independent School District Board Trustee Roselle Adriann Ramirez, and Rosa Rodriguez for their alleged roles in a vote harvesting scheme.
“Violating the privacy and voting rights of elderly or disabled individuals will not be tolerated,” 81st District Attorney Audrey Louis said Monday morning. “Targeting these vulnerable voters to sway an election or secure political positions is a direct attack on the principles of our democracy.
“We are committed to protecting every citizen’s right to vote freely, fairly, and without intimidation,” DA Louis said.
Louis referred the case involving potential vote harvesting in Frio County to the state attorney general’s criminal investigation division on November 28, 2022.
Judge Camacho had not been arrested as of Tuesday morning this week, due to medical issues.
According to the arrest warrant filed at the sheriff’s office, Camacho was indicted on three third-degree felony charges for voter harvesting that occurred during her bid for the county judge’s seat.
Camacho was the Democratic Party nominee after the March primaries in 2022 and garnered enough votes to secure the position over fellow candidates Jose Asuncion (independent) and Jessica Villanueva (Republican) in the November general election.
Segura, who resigned from his position at the county elections office in December 2023, faces a third-degree felony charge for tampering or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair.
According to the indictment filed at the district attorney’s office, Segura intentionally concealed documents and records relating to 2023 applications for ballot by mail with the intent to impair the availability of the documents and records as evidence in any subsequent investigation related to the offense.
Judge Russell Wilson of the 281st District signed a search warrant for Segura’s office on October 3, 2023.
Records requested by the attorney general’s investigator from the elections office revealed what are being described as suspicious applications for ballots by mail, which indicated that potential criminal activity was happening.
The two city councilors, Trevino and Garza, were indicted on third-degree felony charges for vote harvesting.
The indictment against Trevino stated on September 22, 2022, that he directly or indirectly provided vote harvesting services to Camacho in exchange for compensation or other benefits.
Those benefits included US currency, gas, lunches and employment with Frio County.
Trevino was hired by the county in April 2023 as the human resources director, earning $77,000 a year.
The indictment against Garza alleges she paid the daughter of Cheryl Denise Castillo by CashApp for voter harvesting services.
Ramirez, who was elected to serve on the Pearsall ISD school board in 2024, faces three third-degree felony charges for vote harvesting that allegedly occurred during her bid for Position 4.
The indictment states that in April 2023, Ramirez made three separate payments to women who then paid Castillo for ‘harvesting services.’
Rodriguez is charged with two counts of vote harvesting for receiving monetary compensation in May 2022 from Camacho and in May 2023 from Ramirez.
Segura surrendered to authorities on Friday, May 2, and was released on a $3,000 surety bond; Trevino, Garza, Ramirez and Rodriguez were arrested, magistrated and released on $2,000 surety bonds for each respective charge after turning themselves in to authorities at the Frio County Jail the same day.
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