“The Chicano Squad” chronicles the groundbreaking team of bilingual patrol officers plucked from their beats and suddenly promoted to Detectives to form the first all-Latin homicide unit dedicated to tackling Houston’s soaring rate of Latin homicide cases in 1979. Dubbed “The Chicano Squad” by the Houston media, the story of these men becoming one of the most highly decorated law enforcement units in the history of Houston is told through firsthand accounts of the original squad members and those impacted by their work.

Featuring new interviews with original members of the group, including Jim Montero, José Selvera, Raymond Gonzales, U.P. Hernández, and Cecil Mosqueda, “The Chicano Squad” explores how these men revolutionized community policing and went on to be an integral division in the Houston Police Department for decades, serving as the inspiration for other squads around the country.

Decades of disregard and corruption inside the Houston Police Department led to widespread police brutality and hundreds of unsolved homicides in the city’s Latin neighborhoods. One officer—Jim Montero—has a vision to form a unit uniquely designed to solve them. In 1979, Montero and five bilingual Mexican American department rookies were given just 90 days to solve all open Latin murder cases, regain the trust of the community, and assist in any new crimes involving Spanish-speaking people.

With no prior homicide experience, unchecked racism and discrimination at all levels of the department, a corrupt police union, the highest crime rate in the country, and an immigrant community that is distrustful of the police, this first–of-its-kind unit of crime fighters lacked experience in homicide investigation and were forced to learn on the job. After 90 days, the Chicano Squad members ultimately proved they belonged and successfully cleared 80% of their cases. What started as an experiment became a permanent and crucial part of Houston Police Department.