5 charged with harboring over 150 at human stash house in Edinburg
5 charged with harboring over 150 at human stash house in Edinburg
http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townn...review-300.jpg Delcia Lopez
090913.BORDER PATROL_RAID. dl 002
Border Patrol and undercover agents apprehended more than 120 people suspected of being in the country illegally at a house northwest of Edinburg off Monmack and Rogers roads Monday, Sept. 9, 2013. Photo by Delcia Lopez / dlopez@themonitor.com
http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townn...review-300.jpg Delcia Lopez
090913.BORDER PATROL_RAID. dl 001
Border Patrol and undercover agents apprehended more than 120 people suspected of being in the country illegally at a house northwest of Edinburg off Monmack and Rogers roads Monday, Sept. 9, 2013. Photo by Delcia Lopez / dlopez@themonitor.com
http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townn...review-300.jpg Delcia Lopez
090913.BORDER PATROL_RAID. dl 003
Border Patrol and undercover agents apprehended more than 120 people suspected of being in the country illegally at a house northwest of Edinburg off Monmack and Rogers roads Monday, Sept. 9, 2013. Photo by Delcia Lopez / dlopez@themonitor.com
Posted: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 9:57 pm
Jacob Fischler | The Monitor The Monitor
McALLEN – A federal judge charged five Mexican nationals Wednesday with harboring 151 people suspected of entering the country illegally at two stash houses in North Edinburg.
According to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday, the five all voluntarily gave statements to Border Patrol investigators from which several inconsistencies emerged. The suspects at various times admitted to and accused each other of transporting people to and from the house, taking care of the residence and profiting from the human smuggling.
One woman, nicknamed “La Flaca,” told investigators she had been working two months, took care of renting the stash house, and was paid $5 per person who stayed there. She had $1,200 on her person, all of which she said came from this operation.
A man nicknamed “El Tio” said he picked up people from the border and drove them to the stash house. He said he earned $10 for every person he picked up, amassing about $4,500.
Border Patrol agents, assisted by Edinburg police officers, conducted a search Monday they said was consensual. Wednesday’s complaint, however, does not state anyone gave permission to search the house. Rather, it says agents, in the process of a consensual conversation with a man at the front door, saw a large number of people moving around inside the house, then entered the residence to “secure all subjects for officer safety reasons.”
The complaint portrays a hectic scene about 6 p.m. Monday at the house in the 3800 block of West Efrain Street as people suspected of entering the country illegally attempted to flee the scene.
“Agents could observe, through the opened back door, numerous subjects inside the residence running around frantically,” the complaint states. “Agents also observed subjects attempting to exit the residence through the windows.”
The document also outlines what led investigators to the suspected smugglers.
An Edinburg police investigator was parked at a business on Trenton Road just west of Interstate 69C/Expressway 281 when he saw several people exit one vehicle and enter a Ford SUV. The investigator contacted a uniformed officer who performed a traffic stop on the vehicle soon after.
jfischler@themonitor.com
http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_2132d71e-1b57-11e3-a683-0019bb30f31a.html
