A combined effort by U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations closed a stash house in south Laredo, Texas.
The incident began on the early evening of October 1, 2020 as agents and deputies conducted surveillance on a residence.
Following a traffic stop of a vehicle that was observed leaving the house, a search warrant was obtained to search the residence. The warrant was executed on the morning of October 2 and resulted in the discovery of 22 individuals illegally in the United States who were being harbored in the home.
They were determined to be from the countries of Mexico and Guatemala. None of them were wearing personal protective equipment. They were taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol.
The investigation was turned over to Special Agents of The Department of Homeland Security who criminally charged a U.S. citizen for his role in the harboring case.
Laredo Sector Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak stated,
“A stash house like this, situated within a residential neighborhood, presents a significant criminal and COVID-19 threat to the surrounding residents. Our agents and our law enforcement partners are continuing to work together to aggressively identify and intercept these stash houses and prosecute those involved in human smuggling.”
