Riot at Reeves County Detention Center

PECOS A riot broke out Saturday at the Reeves County Detention Center, just a month and a half after another one damaged part of the federal prison, Reeves County sheriff Sgt. Michael Estorga said.

He said there were no reports of injuries by 9:30 p.m. Saturday, though a Pecos Enterprise reporter on the scene said he saw smoke coming out of the R2 wing of the complex, where the riot was located. There were sounds of shots being fired at some point, but it was not known whether the noise was that of gunfire, tear gas, an explosion or something else.

DPS troopers and law enforcement agencies from places as far as Terrell County have responded to the privately operated prison, which has now seen its second riot in two months.

DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange said about 1,100 inmates were in the prison's yard and DPS officers were responding to it. She did not have any further information on injuries, the cause of the riot or if any hostages were being held.

A woman who answered a call to the prison said, "I'm not allowed to give any information at this time," and hung up. No rioting was audible through the short phone call.

Dispatchers in several area counties said their respective counties were sending a number of reinforcements to the prison. Ward County sheriff dispatcher Elda Widden said they received a message from counterparts in Reeves asking to send all available manpower.

"(We're) getting ready to send the rest of them off-duty" over there, she said at about 9 p.m.

The prison, operated by The Geo Group, is a low-security prison with a capacity of 2,407, according to the company's website.

On Dec. 12, the inmates held two prison employees hostage and demanded better medical treatment, the Associated Press reported after that riot ended Dec. 14. Fires were set to an exercise room located in another part of the prison from where Saturday's riots are taking place.

The Pecos Enterprise and OA Staff Writer Doug Carman contributed to this report.