UPDATED January 29.
Another Texas JROTC instructor is facing felony charges for sex crimes involving minors.
Oscar Rosel Olvera was arrested on a charge of child grooming, a third-degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison.
Sgt. Olvera is a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) teacher at Mercedes High School in the Mercedes Independent School District. The target of his alleged grooming is a student.
Mercedes ISD released a statement acknowledging the arrest but did not name Olvera.
According to the statement, the district received information about an alleged “improper relationship” between a Mercedes High School teacher and a student and “immediately” placed the teacher on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.
In accordance with state law and District policy, the District promptly reported the matter to the appropriate authorities, including law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and the State Board for Educator Certification.
The district said it “worked collaboratively” with the Mercedes Police Department throughout the investigation, and administrators are “currently in the process of terminating the employment of this individual.”
The safety and well-being of our students is, and will always remain, our top priority … The District continues to reinforce the message, “If you see something, say something,” and encourages prompt reporting of concerns to law enforcement or trusted adults.
Mercedes ISD added that it would not provide any additional details at this time, as both a personnel issue and an ongoing legal matter are involved.
Olvera was arrested by the Mercedes Police Department and booked into the Hidalgo County Jail on January 22. He was released the next day on a $20,000 bond.
During a special school board meeting on January 29, Mercedes ISD trustees voted unanimously to fire Olvera.
At least two other Texas JROTC instructors are currently facing child sex crime charges.
Andrew Smierciak was arrested January 23 on a charge of indecency with a child after allegedly exposing his genitals to a 9-year-old girl in a park while performing a sex act on himself.
Smierciak is a Leadership Officer Training Corps (LOTC) instructor at Poe Middle School in San Antonio ISD. LOTC teachers prepare middle school students for potential high school JROTC programs.
He won an award last year for “outstanding” San Antonio-area educators “who make a lasting impact in their classrooms and communities.”
Staff Sgt. Michael Songy was arrested last May and now faces two indecent assault charges involving students. Both alleged offenses occurred in May 2025 while Songy was working as the lead JROTC instructor at Rock Hill High School in Prosper ISD.
The second charge was added in December. An incident report requested from the Prosper ISD Police Department yielded little information about the allegations, as the entire description of the incident was redacted.
An earlier sexual misconduct complaint against Songy was reported to the Texas Education Agency in July 2024, but TEA did not open a formal investigation and Prosper ISD hired Songy back for the 2024-25 school year.
Songy’s LinkedIn page states he is “transitioning to new opportunities.”
Both Smierciak and Songy had been issued one-year emergency permits to teach JROTC, but state records do not show a permit issued to Olvera.
Olvera, Smierciak, and Songy are among hundreds of Texas teachers accused of sex crimes involving students and other children in just the past few years. Thousands have been reported to the TEA for sexual misconduct.
