LAREDO, Texas – In a joint enforcement action, U.S. Border Patrol along with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Laredo Police Department (LPD) closed down a stash house harboring a sizable number of individuals in west Laredo.
The incident occurred on July 30, around noon, when agents assigned to the Laredo North Station received a report about a possible stash house at the 3900 block of Santa Isabel Ave. Agents, along with DPS and LPD, conducted a knock and talk at the residence which initially resulted in the apprehension of 14 individuals who were in the United States illegally. A search warrant was subsequently obtained for an adjacent apartment on the same property. The search warrant was served later that afternoon, and an additional 37 individuals were discovered who were also illegally present in the United States.
All 51 of the individuals were in the United States illegally and from the countries of Mexico and Guatemala. Three individuals in the group are being investigated for harboring and alien smuggling. All were taken into custody pending 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.
To report suspicious activity such as alien and/or drug smuggling, download the “USBP Laredo Sector” App or contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll-free at 1-800-343-1994.