U.S. Marshals, the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies are searching for a prisoner who allegedly walked away from a minimum-security facility in Seagoville in Dallas County on Monday morning, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Salvador Gallegos, 31, was incarcerated in a satellite camp next to a more heavily secured federal prison. The satellite camp, which houses 109 prisoners, does not have any fences and is intended for non-violent inmates who have gained a measure of trust with prison authorities.
The satellite camps have been a part of the prison system for some time.
The prisoners in the camp assist with work at the nearby main federal prison building, which holds nearly 1,800 inmates.
Bruce Cameron, co-owner of the consulting firm Federal Prison Authority Consultants, said it is rare for prisoners to walk away from these minimum-security facilities. The purpose of the satellite camps and the prisoners’ work detail is to help integrate non-violent offenders into society and give them exposure to other elevated types of jobs, he explained.
Jose Santana, also a co-owner of Federal Prison Authority Consultants, noted that Gallegos’ escape is unfortunate for other inmates at the camp, as it was a breach of trust and may cause correctional administrators to re-think the laxer restrictions in the camp environments.
Gallegos was serving a 160-month sentence for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and had been incarcerated since October 13, 2021. If he is captured, an additional five years will likely be added to his sentence.
Gallegos had no prior criminal history before the drug case, Fox 4 News reported.
The missing prisoner is described as a 5′-7″ man with black hair and brown eyes, weighing about 170 pounds. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call the U.S. Marshal’s Office at 214-767-0836.
