Border Patrol agents in El Paso continue to counter human smugglers looking to make a profit with bringing in undocumented immigrants into America. The relentless operations are part of the United States' efforts to maintain border integrity and uphold immigration laws.
"11/25: USBP agents in El Paso with the assistance of TX-DPS apprehended 42 undocumented subjects from a stash house. DYK: Stash houses are basically warehouses for smugglers. They’re used as transportation hubs to store people & separate them into groups for distribution.", said Jason Owens.
The battle against illegal immigration and human smuggling is ongoing, as demonstrated by recent events. In July, El Paso Border Patrol broke up a number of human smuggling attempts including stash houses, rescued two migrants and handled three drug seizures, according to a news release.
However, it's not just about cracking down on these operations; the officials have also been vocal about their determination. "El Paso Sector continues to successfully disrupt numerous human smuggling schemes and the illicit operations by Transnational Criminal Organizations," said El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony "Scott" Good in a statement. "We will not stop in combating these dangerous criminal smuggling organizations efforts that endanger our communities."
Statistics give us a better understanding of the sheer scale of these operations. According to the release, Border Patrol agents disrupted 24 human smuggling events during a period of seven days that resulted in the apprehension of over 145 smuggled migrants. In the process, agents found six stash houses and took 52 undocumented migrants into custody.
In some cases, officers have acted on specific tips. The patrol’s Anti-Smuggling Unit received information from the Santa Teresa Station Anti-Smuggling Unit on a possible stash house in west side of the city that yielded 30 migrants including one unaccompanied juvenile from Guatemala. Migrants were from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras and transported to the station for processing.
It's also worth noting that these operations often unveil other illicit activities. Lordsburg Station agents encountered 31 fentanyl pills on July 15 inside a black sedan after a failed smuggling attempt on New Mexico Highway 80, according to the news release. The narcotics were concealed in a box and discovered after agents performed an immigration inspection. Additionally, El Paso Border Patrol arrested four criminals in separate incidents with multiple convictions for sex offenses, including child abuse.
