A former employee with the Starr County district attorney’s office facing federal charges went before a judge Thursday.

Bernice Garza faces federal human smuggling charges for allegedly using a vehicle that belonged to the district attorney’s crime victim’s center to smuggle immigrants to Houston for several months starting in June 2022, according to the criminal complaint against her.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Starr County employee arrested, accused of using county vehicle for human smuggling

Garza was arrested last week and fired from her job as the district attorney’s crime victims coordinator following an investigation, the district attorney’s office announced.

A judge set Garza’s bond at $30,000. Court records indicate Garza posted bond Thursday.

Juan Antonio Charles and Magali Rosa — two individuals accused of being Garza’s accomplices in the human smuggling scheme — had their bond set at $45,000 each.