Frio County judge, officials among 6 indicted for 'vote harvesting'

article

PEARSALL, Texas - A Frio County Grand Jury has indicted six people, including public officials, for charges related to what Attorney General Ken Paxton calls an "illegal vote harvesting scheme."

Each individual is charged with third-degree felonies. If found guilty, each charge could earn the suspects two to 10 years in prison. 

Vote Harvesting Investigation

What we know:

In August 2024, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Texas Attorney General's Office executed multiple search warrants in Frio, Atascosa and Bexar counties.

The AG's office says that the warrants were part of a "multi-year investigation into credible allegations of vote harvesting" that they say occurred during the 2022 elections.

What we don't know:

The details of the indictments have not been made public.

What is vote harvesting?

Dig deeper:

Vote harvesting is often used to refer to a person other than the voter returning their ballot.

Texas Senate Bill 1, which was passed in 2021, makes it a third-degree felony for someone to collect ballots in exchange for compensation, unless they are an employed caregiver for someone eligible to vote by mail.

Lawsuits have challenged the law, but those are currently under appeal.

The suspects

• Rochelle Camacho, a Frio County judge, was indicted on three counts of vote harvesting.
• Carlos Segura, a former Frio County elections administrator, was indicted on one count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
• Ramiro Trevino, a member of the Pearsall City Council, was indicted on one count of vote harvesting.
• Racheal Garza, a member of the Pearsall City Council, was indicted on one count of vote harvesting.
• Adriann Ramirez, a Pearsall ISD trustee, was indicted on three counts of vote harvesting.
• Rosa Rodriguez was charged with two counts of vote harvesting.

Five of the six suspects were arrested on May 2, 2025.

Rochelle Camacho will be processed at a later date, according to Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The officials face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

Accused of violating voting rights

What they're saying:

81st Judicial District Attorney Audrey Gossett Louis provided a comment on the indictments in her Wednesday press release.

"Violating the privacy or voting rights of our elderly or disabled community members will be met with zero tolerance," Louis said. "Targeting these vulnerable voters to sway an election or secure a political position 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."

"The people of Texas deserve fair and honest elections, not backroom deals and political insiders rigging the system. Elected officials who think they can cheat to stay in power will be held accountable. No one is above the law," said Attorney General Paxton.

What you can do:

Louis encouraged anyone who has seen or experienced this type of voter manipulation or intimidation first-hand in Atascosa, Frio, Karnes, La Salle, or Wilson County, to contact her office at 830-393-2200. Investigations by the Election Integrity Unit of the Office of the Texas Attorney General are ongoing, she said.