South Texas stash house discovered by ICE At-Large Team
LAREDO – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers encountered a residence in Laredo, Texas used to house illegal aliens, also known as stash houses, resulting in the apprehension of 32 undocumented aliens Thursday.
The ICE ERO San Antonio At-Large team was conducting a targeted enforcement operation searching for a criminal alien they were investigating. Upon entering the residence, a large group of people was observed inside the house. Field interviews revealed that the individuals were all undocumented citizens and nationals of Mexico and Guatemala who had recently illegally entered the United States by crossing the Rio Grande. The group consisted of 22 adult males, two unaccompanied juvenile males, and eight adult females. All 32 were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol pending removal.
“The overcrowded conditions of stash houses show the lack of concern human smugglers have for people they victimize for profit. We are committed to targeting human smugglers and smuggling operations which threaten the safety of our communities and undermine the immigration laws of our nation.” said Jose Correa, field office director for ERO San Antonio. “ICE will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to maintain the integrity of our border and increase public safety.”
ICE ERO San Antonio was assisted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Border Patrol during this enforcement action.
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.
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