January 1, Border Patrol Agents Find 20+ Illegal Immigrants in Motel ‘Stash Houses’

U.S. Border Patrol officials and troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety found more than 20 illegal immigrants in motel rooms being used as “stash houses.”

Officials responded to a report of suspicious activity at a motel in Laredo.

“Once on scene, agents and troopers encountered over 20 undocumented individuals in multiple rooms of the motel,” the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) Laredo Sector said.

“[Border Patrol] agents and our law enforcement partners remain vigilant for actions by the criminal elements that attempt to exploit those they seek to smuggle for profit.”

Earlier this month, the USBP Laredo Sector announced they had stopped a narcotic smuggling attempt, seizing 391 pounds of marijuana.

Agents responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on January 10, finding an SUV that had been abandoned after it hit a traffic sign. Inside, they found 391 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of $313,040.

The agency said that it continues “to secure the Nation’s borders and prevent the smuggling of drugs into the country.”

The USBP said that their mission, in part, is to target and investigate potential criminals and prevent “transnational criminal organizations” from engaging in illegal activities “by utilizing state-of-the-art intelligence data, equipment, collection, and analytics to coordinate the seizure of contraband before it can be distributed in our communities.” 

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Texas border patrol agents find more than 20 illegal immigrants motel ‘stash houses’