TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Newly released documents show that top staffers for Gov. Ron DeSantis — including his chief of staff — were directly involved in the state’s program to send migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.

In the two weeks leading up to the Sept. 14 transport of almost 50 Venezuelan migrants to the island, DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier, sent text messages and had phone calls with Larry Keefe, a former Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney who is now DeSantis’ hand-picked public safety czar. The messages make clear that Keefe was in Texas helping coordinate the flights and had the full support of the governor’s chief of staff, according to records released by the governor’s administration late Friday.

On Sept. 5, more than a week before the first flight, Keefe texted Uthmeier that he was “back out here” and the chief of staff responded that he endorsed the effort.

“Very good,” Uthmeier texted. “You have my full support. Call anytime.”

“Copy. Thanks,” Keefe responded.

On the day of the first flight from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Keefe texted Uthmeier: “Wheels up” and “Should be in contact again around 1100 eastern.”

The documents provide the clearest picture yet of the extent to which DeSantis’ top officials were involved in the planning and execution of the flight. They include nearly 150 pages of material such as text messages, photos of migrants boarding private planes and partially-redacted Department of Homeland Security waivers signed by migrants taking the flights. Names of individual migrants are blacked out of the waiver documents but most list Venezuela as the country of origin.

They include nearly 150 pages of material such as text messages, photos of migrants boarding private planes and partially-redacted Department of Homeland Security waivers signed by migrants taking the flights. Names of individual migrants are blacked out of the waiver documents but most list Venezuela as the country of origin.