80 Migrants Found in Texas Border City Stash House

Border Patrol agents in Laredo, Texas, discovered more than 80 migrants crammed into a single residential home on Monday. The agents, responding to a report of suspicious activity in the area, found the migrants scattered throughout the scene. The migrants were arrested and removed from the unsanitary conditions and were processed for removal from the country.

Although Laredo Sector ranks much lower than most in the southwest in the apprehension of migrants, traffic in the area is distinct from others. Laredo is the busiest port of entry in Texas, according to the Texas Comptroller. Due to the high volume of legitimate commercial tractor trailers, the Border Patrol encounters a significant number of tractor-trailer migrant smuggling schemes.

The stash houses are used by human traffickers to hide the migrants while transportation away from the border area is coordinated.
According to the Border Patrol, the number of migrants being held in this home is cause for concern. They consider stash houses a national security threat due to the criminal activity and the unsanitary conditions during a pandemic.

Within the first two months of this fiscal year, the Border Patrol in Laredo discovered six total stash houses in the city. During the month of November, nearly 160 migrants were removed from stash houses. In October, two homes containing nearly 50 migrants were discovered. Monday’s discovery involved the highest number of migrants discovered in a single home this fiscal year.

Despite the significant number of high-volume smuggling events interdicted and the number of migrant stash houses discovered within the city, there is some promising news. According to the Border Patrol, the Laredo Sector is the only area along the southwest border that reported a decline in migrant apprehensions thus far this fiscal year.

In October, the sector reported 7,443 apprehensions, compared to 9,373 in October 2020.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.