Texas detention deputy posed for selfies with inmates, flashing middle fingers and sticking out her tongue. The sheriff’s office made sure the photos came at a cost

A Texas detention deputy is out of a job after photos of her posing with jail inmates, including one showing her flipping off the camera, started circulating on social media. Karla Beltran had only been working for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) for a few months when she was fired on Oct. 12, 2026. The decision followed an internal review of the photographs, which showed her posing in uniform inside the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.

According to News 4 San Antonio, several female inmates can be seen behind a glass partition, joining Beltran in the photos. In some, she sticks out her tongue or makes faces at the camera while the women copy her gestures. Others show them throwing up peace signs. One photograph went a step further. Beltran is seen extending both middle fingers toward the camera, with an inmate behind the glass making the same gesture. The images raised questions about what was happening inside the facility and how the photographs were taken in the first place.

She was still in probation

It is still unclear who took the pictures or when exactly they were captured. What is known is that their circulation led jail officials to look into the matter, and Beltran was no longer employed by the department by Oct. 12. Her time at the sheriff’s office was brief. Records show she started on July 1, 2026, putting her tenure at just over three months. She was also still in the one-year probationary period that applies to newly hired county law enforcement employees and cadets.

That detail matters because the sheriff’s office did not have to go through the same termination process it would for an employee who had completed probation. A BCSO spokesperson told reporters that Beltran was dismissed under the department’s probationary rules. Under the applicable civil service procedures, new employees can be let go if they fail to meet the agency’s conduct or performance standards. Those dismissed during probation also do not have the same right to appeal as employees who have completed that period.

In other words, the department could end Beltran’s employment without the more involved process that can apply to established staff. Sheriff Javier Salazar’s office has described the decision as an administrative probationary dismissal. It has not announced any criminal charges against Beltran in connection with the photographs.

The images also leave some unanswered questions. The women pictured were inmates at the detention center, but officials have not publicly explained the circumstances in which the photos were taken or whether the deputy had permission to use a personal device inside the facility.

The sheriff’s office is still checking whether other employees were involved

The Bexar County Adult Detention Center can house roughly 5,000 inmates. In a facility of that size, staff are expected to follow rules governing security, inmate privacy, and conduct while on duty. Photographs involving detainees can raise concerns about all three, depending on how they were taken and shared.

Still, the sheriff’s office has not released further details about the images or indicated whether other employees were involved. Beltran could not be reached for comment about her firing. For now, the department has treated the matter as a probationary employment decision, and no additional action against the former deputy has been announced.