Authorities keep finding stash houses in Laredo, Texas, used by human smugglers. On Thursday, Border Patrol agents with the Laredo North Station were alerted of another possible stash house. In a joint operation with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Laredo Police Department, agents conducted a knock and talk at the residence.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), agents initially apprehended 14 illegal immigrants after visiting the residence. Agents then obtained a search warrant for an apartment located on the same property, which resulted in the arrest of an additional 37 illegal aliens. All 51 illegal aliens were determined to be from the countries of Mexico and Guatemala. Three of the individuals are under investigation for suspicion of alien harboring and smuggling. All are currently under custody, pending further investigation.
"Despite the ongoing international pandemic, U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Laredo Sector continue to stand at the ready to secure the nation's borders, prevent the flow of illegal immigration, the exploitation by human smugglers, and the spread of COVID-19," CBP said in a press release.
Earlier this week, Border Patrol agents in Laredo, Texas, found four illegal immigrants from Mexico, one at a suspected stash house and three others during a welfare check at a local hotel room. Last week, Border Patrol agents working a joint operation with the Webb County Constables Office found 28 illegal aliens in three different stash houses in Laredo. And in May, Border Patrol agents discovered 12 illegal aliens from the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico at another stash house in the city. Human smugglers control their fair share of Laredo real estate.
CBP encourages those wishing to report suspicious activity, such as alien and/or drug smuggling, to download the "USBP Laredo Sector" App or call the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll-free at 1-800-343-1994.
