U.S. Border Patrol Agents from the El Paso Sector recently discovered 134 migrants inside three separate stash houses, along with over $600k worth of Methamphetamine.
On July 15, Alamogordo agents located 67 undocumented migrants trying to hide inside a trailer in Chaparral, New Mexico. Of the 67 migrants, there were 44 Guatemalans, 16 Ecuadorans, five Mexicans, one El Salvadorian, and one Honduran. Two of the migrants from Guatemala were unaccompanied children.
On July 14, Ysleta agents found a stash house in San Elizario, Texas with 43 undocumented migrants hiding inside a home. Of the 43 migrants, there were 20 Ecuadorans, 11 Peruvians, 10 Mexicans, one Honduran, and one Unaccompanied Child from Guatemala. Inside the home, a Border Patrol Agent canine handler found 19.85 pounds of methamphetamine worth an estimated street value of $635,200.
Also on July 14, Santa Teresa agents found another stash house in Vado, New Mexico with 24 undocumented migrants hiding inside a house. Of the 24 migrants, there were 18 Ecuadorans, four Guatemalans, and two Mexicans.
Of the 134 migrants in total, 131 were single adults and three were unaccompanied children, all of whom entered the United States illegally and were trying to avoid detection. Stash houses are used by transnational criminal organizations to hide migrants until they can be transported further into the United States.
The three unaccompanied children from Guatemala were taken to the El Paso Central Processing Center for further processing while the 131 other migrants were returned back to Mexico in accordance with Title 42 of the United States Code Section 265.
The combined efforts of the United States Border Patrol in the El Paso Sector, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s office led to the apprehension of these 134 illegal migrants. Three unaccompanied children from Guatemala were rescued from dire conditions that are commonly found in stash houses. Lastly, 19.85 pounds of Methamphetamine worth over $635,200 was taken out of circulation.
“Our Border Patrol agents will continue to work together with other law enforcement agencies to rescue migrants from these deplorable living conditions where they are held for long periods of time,” said El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez. “No human being should be treated like a commodity.”
An arrest or criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered evidence of guilt. Subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
