27 February 2025, El Paso, Texas, Steven Zimmerman – Note: This article was edited to correct the spelling of Officer Carzoli’s name.
To search, or not to search. To punish, or not to punish. That is the question.
We expect any police department to uphold the law and its internal policies. The El Paso Police Department has a set of core values that they say guides them in their mission:
We respect life
We revere the truth
We enforce the law
We seek community partnership
We honor our police powers
We conduct ourselves with dignity
We will focus on how they don’t revere truth, enforce the law, or honor their police powers.
“When an arrest is made, there is supposed to be a thorough search,” says a Police Officer with the El Paso Police Department’s Westside Regional Command, “but we have a problem with the DUI Task Force not properly searching arrestees.”
According to the El Paso Police Department Procedures Manual, page 89, Section 306.8 says:
306.8 SEARCH INCIDENT TO ARREST
As soon as possible after an arrest is made, but before transport, officers will search subjects carefully for any evidence, weapons or items which may be used to cause harm or physical injury. If it becomes necessary to transfer a subject between units, the receiving officer will conduct a search of the prisoner prior to effecting the transfer.
On 1 January 2025, DUI Task Forces Officers Natalie Herrera, badge #3403, and Gabriel Carzoli , badge #3377, stopped Elizabeth Aguirre at 1479 N. Zaragoza Road just before 1530 hrs. The reason for the stop is unclear, but Ms. Aguirre was arrested for driving while intoxicated.
“The offender, the lady arrested, Carzoli and Herrera didn’t search her,” says a Police Officer with Mission Valley Regional Command. “If they had conducted a proper search, they would have also charged her for possession of a controlled substance.”
Ms. Aguirre underwent an x-ray search at the El Paso County Detention Facility, and it was discovered that she had drugs hidden on her person. Ms. Aguirre did not indicate she had drugs to the officers. Additionally, Officer Herrera could have better searched Aguirre in the field and discovered the drugs.
“There was a female officer who was part of the arrest team; she could have searched the suspect,” says another Officer with the El Paso Police Department. “Can you imagine if that was a weapon and if she slipped her cuffs, there is no telling what she could have done.”
The incident report that was provided to us via a FOIA request does not indicate a charge of possession of narcotics. This means the officers in the field dropped the ball.
The officers who made the initial arrest requested another unit to come and transport Aguirre. When the arresting officers transferred her to the other officer, there was supposed to be another search. That didn’t happen.
Three officers were involved, and no one found the drugs.
“This is a clear violation of our policies,” says an Officer with the El Paso Police Department, “and I’ll bet you there is no Blue Team on this.”
El Paso Police Lieutenant Esparza, badge #2371, was informed of the drugs’ discovery. When another officer told him of the findings, he said he would take care of it. According to the Internal Affairs Disciplinary Records, nothing was done. (IA cards are at the bottom of this article)
Let’s look at those core values again:
We respect life
We revere the truth
We enforce the law
We seek community partnership
We honor our police powers
We conduct ourselves with dignity
If officers violate the law or internal policies and procedures, and nothing is done, how does this show they revere the truth? How are they honoring their police powers? There is dignity in dereliction of duty and dismissal of policy violations, especially when you hold the DUI unit up on a pedestal, making them seemingly untouchable.
“This is remedial police 101,” says another Officer with the El Paso Police Department. “You have to search your prisoner before you put them in the car and after. They’ve fallen into complacency.”
Should you wish to raise a complaint with the El Paso Police Department’s Chief of Police or the Officers involved, their emails are below:
Peter Pacillas [email protected]
Lieutenant Esparza [email protected]
Carzoli [email protected]
Herrera [email protected]
