Federal agents say a suspected human smuggling stash house in El Paso was taken down in May, with 12 people arrested, including an unaccompanied child. Officials reported that the 11 adults were processed on federal immigration charges, while the child was handled through administrative procedures. Everyone detained was taken to a Border Patrol station as part of the ongoing investigation, according to the agencies that announced the arrests.
The bust was one piece of a wider spring enforcement push in the region. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas reported a flurry of stash house investigations and related arrests in early May, including cases linked to a May 4 operation that generated criminal complaints and additional arrests, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas.
How Agents Say the Raid Unfolded
U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations said they zeroed in on the house at about 10:30 a.m. after following up on information from a prior smuggling probe. Inside, agents reported finding 11 adults and one unaccompanied child. Authorities told reporters that 10 of the people detained were from Mexico and two were from Guatemala.
"These law enforcement partnerships and operations help make our El Paso area one of the safest communities in the nation," U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jessie Munoz said. "Homeland Security Investigations is dedicated to protecting our communities by dismantling criminal organizations involved in human smuggling," HSI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Ryan McRae added, according to KFOX14/CBS4.
Not the First Stash House This Spring
Federal filings and local reporting indicate that this was not an isolated case. Earlier in the spring, a search at a home on Bon Aire Drive turned up 10 adults and three juveniles and led to smuggling charges in a separate case. Prosecutors have been pursuing those matters as part of the same broader enforcement effort, according to the El Paso Times.
What Happens Next
Authorities said the 11 adults arrested in the May stash house operation were processed and charged with violations of Title 8 of the U.S. Code. The unaccompanied minor was processed administratively. Investigators from Border Patrol and HSI said the case remains under review as they work new leads and gather evidence, according to KFOX14/CBS4. Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas may bring additional charges as the investigations move forward.
