In a recent operation by U.S. Border Patrol and associated law enforcement, 77 migrants were found in two separate stash houses in El Paso, including one individual wanted for murder. The operation unfolded on Tuesday when authorities acted on intelligence regarding a possible stash house location on Overland Avenue, where they discovered 72 migrants living in cramped and unsanitary conditions; two individuals amongst them have been pegged as caretakers and now face human smuggling charges, as per a U.S. Customs and Border Protection release.
At a second location on Val Verde Street, the team found five additional individuals, rounding up the total to 77 migrants hailing from Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic, according to the CBP report, the migrants, despite their circumstances, were deemed to be in good health and are being processed under Title 8 for removal. In the midst of processing, one migrant's record revealed an outstanding warrant for murder in the Dominican Republic through checks against the International Criminal Police Organization database.
"The citizens in our local El Paso community provide an important partnership to help us safeguard our city," said A. Scott Good, El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent, in the CBP announcement, calling for the public's assistance in reporting suspicious activities. The El Paso Sector has been notably active with more than 270 stash houses busted and 2,663 migrants taken into custody during Fiscal Year 2024 alone, highlighting the relentless efforts to combat human smuggling in the region.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection stays open to tips from the community, urging discretion and anonymity for citizens who report questionable activities to the U.S. Border Patrol via their designated hotline at 1-800-635-2509, this is an avenue for civic engagement where a single call could resonate with powerful ramifications, disrupting illicit operations and potentially saving lives.
