CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — Authorities say a Texas mother with a drug debt to settle is accused of selling her 7-year-old son for $2,500.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said Tuesday that 29-year-old Esmeralda Garza of Corpus Christi was arrested last week. Jail records did not list an attorney for her.
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports a woman told investigators she bought the boy for $2,500. An arrest report says Garza said she and her boyfriend owed drug money and the child was given to the woman for $500, the clearing of the debt and an additional $700 when the “custody paperwork” was signed.
Department of Public Safety agents executed a drug search warrant in Corpus Christi and located the 7-year-old. Authorities say two girls, ages 2 and 3, were in the process of being sold.
(Copyright (c) 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)