NEW MEXICO, USA — El Paso Sector U.S. Border Patrol agents found 134 migrants inside three separate stash houses, along with more than $600,000 in methamphetamine in the last 48 hours, the agency said in a press release Saturday.
On July 14, Ysleta agents found a stash house in San Elizario, Texas, with 43 undocumented migrants hiding inside of a home - 20 Ecuadorans, 11 Peruvians, 10 Mexicans, one Honduran and one unaccompanied child from Guatemala. A Border Patrol agent canine handler found 19.85 lbs. of methamphetamine worth an estimated street value of $635,200.
On July 14, Santa Teresa agents found another stash house in Vado, N.M., with 24 undocumented migrants hiding inside of a house - 18 Ecuadorans, four Guatemalans and two Mexicans.
On July 15, Alamogordo agents found 67 undocumented migrants trying to hide inside of a trailer in Chaparral, N.M. Of the 67 migrants, there were 44 Guatemalans, 16 Ecuadorans, five Mexicans, one El Salvadorian and one Honduran. Two from Guatemala were unaccompanied children.
Of the 134 migrants, 131 were single adults and three were unaccompanied children, all of whom entered illegally into the United States 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. The 131 adults were returned 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 apprehensions. T he three unaccompanied children were rescued from dire conditions commonly found in stash houses. More than 19 lbs. of methamphetamine was taken out of circulation for distribution in communities.
“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,” El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez said in the release. “No human being should be treated like a commodity.”
In the release the Border Patrol said, "It is important to note that 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."
Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol while remaining anonymous by calling 800-635-2509.
