Agents Discover Stash House North of Palmview

Posted: Aug 16, 2012 9:32 PM
Updated: Aug 16, 2012 10:21 PM

MISSION - Border Patrol agents on Thursday discovered a human smuggling stash house just north of Palmview.

Officials said they found 17 immigrants and possibly two alleged smugglers.

Border Patrol and Homeland Security agents and Edinburg police converged on an apartment complex north of Palmview.

"Our agents ... were conducting surveillance on an apartment complex and suspected there were illegal aliens ... in one of the units," said Border Patrol Agent Enrique Mendiola. "They conducted their surveillance and subsequently encountered 17 people in multiple apartments."

Mendiola said agents questioned the immigrants and believe the smugglers were part of the group.

He said the immigrants were from various countries.

"This is a mix of males and females from at least three different countries," Mendiola said. "Also ... our agents were able to recover a stolen vehicle. It was a pickup stolen out of Edinburg."

Border Patrol officials said they have seen an increase in stash houses this year.

"In this fiscal year we've made approximately 4,000 arrests from well over 125 stash houses that we have encountered," Mendiola said.'

Officials will conduct criminal background checks on the immigrants before they are allowed to return to their countries.

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