Free RGV Bekah

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Brownsville environmental activist Bekah Hinojosa was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned for 26 hours.

On the morning of Wednesday, February 16, 2022, two cars of Brownsville police broke into the home of local environmental activist Bekah Hinojosa. Without allowing her to properly dress and without providing a warrant, they arrested her, took away her prescription eyeglasses, subjected her to interrogation without a lawyer, and held her in isolation for 26 hours, all based on a single alleged charge of Class B misdemeanor graffiti.

Immediately after her release and apparently in coordination with city jail officials, the Mayor of Brownsville, Trey Mendez, attempted to single out and publicly attack Hinojosa by publishing her mugshot on his official Facebook page. In Mayor Mendez’s post, he also published the name of Hinojosa’s employer in an apparent attempt to harm her ability to earn a living. Mayor Mendez made clear that he was lashing out because she is quoted in anti-SpaceX articles and because of a small message that had been painted below the controversial “BTX” mural in downtown Brownsville, to the effect of “gentrified / stop SpaceX.” By the morning of Friday, Feb 18, the graffiti at the bottom of the mural was covered up. Read for more background: Texas Observer article published 2-22-22 by Gus Bova.

The mayor has abused his official authority and subjected Hinojosa to a violent arrest because she is outspoken about the destructive impacts that SpaceX is causing to our environment and community. This is clear retaliation motivated by Rebekah’s 1st Amendment protected conduct to challenge the environmental impact of SpaceX. Mayor Mendez is violating federal law.

November 2023 update: District Attorney, facing community pressure, reduces charge against Brownsville Environmental Activist

https://truchargv.com/rgv-free-bekah-hinojosa/

Rio Grande Valley residents gathered inside the Cameron County Courthouse-Judicial Building to support Brownsville environmental activist Bekah Hinojosa. They urged the court to drop the politically-motivated Class B Misdemeanor charge against Hinojosa for allegedly spraying anti-SpaceX graffiti. Inside courtroom 5, Ms. Hinojosa and her attorney, Sara Stapleton-Barrera, appeared before the Judge and received notice that the charge had been reduced to a Class C Misdemeanor and, if convicted, would result in a maximum fine of $500 and no additional jail time. Ms. Hinojosa and her attorney will now fight the Class C misdemeanor by pursuing a trial by jury in municipal court. 

“For nearly two years, community members and I have been demanding the charge against me be dropped because I am being targeted by the City of Brownsville and the District Attorney for being outspoken against SpaceX. These charges should be dropped because my arrest was politically motivated and violates my civil rights,” said Bekah Hinojosa. “We won’t allow politicians to attack community members, like me, with a violent police force that subjects them to cruel and unusual punishment and dox them for opposing a corporation that is causing environmental destruction in our community.”  

“I am very proud of Bekah, her supporters, and the outcome in court today. Whenever one person stands up and says, ‘Wait a minute, this is wrong,’ it helps other people to do the same. I believe Bekah has set the wheels in motion for a more just system,” Sara Stapleton-Barrera, Hinojosa’s attorney, added. 

For years, residents and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas have been vocal about the environmental and financial harms that SpaceX has inflicted on Brownsville and surrounding communities. SpaceX operations have burned down acres of the wildlife refuge, dumped rocket debris on the community, and taken away beach access from families and fishermen. Supporters have delivered over 2,000 petitions to the City of Brownsville and the District Attorney to ask Hinojosa’s charges be dropped.  

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