Border Patrol arrests 27 people at Pharr stash house


Joel Martinez
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U.S. Border Patrol agents take suspected illegal immigrants from an alleged stash house on West Nolana Loop in Pharr on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 23, 2013. photo by Joel Martinez/jmartinez@themonitor.com
posted: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 2:37 pm
by Dave Hendricks

PHARR — Border Patrol arrested 27 people Wednesday after searching a two-story home on West Nolana Loop.

Border Patrol and the Pharr Police Department searched the brown wood-and-stucco home in the 1300 block of West Nolana Loop shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday. Border Patrol arrested 24 illegal immigrants and three people who might be smugglers, according to a Border Patrol spokesman.

Agents also discovered an unknown amount of cash and an unknown quantity of marijuana.

The 1,620-square-foot home, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, was built in 1989, according to Hidalgo County Appraisal District records. A “House For Rent” sign recently had been placed nearby.

The property owner couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Pharr police assisted Border Patrol, sending several police cruisers to help federal agents. A police spokeswoman declined to provide any information about the search, including the address, and referred all comment to Border Patrol.

Border Patrol agents and Pharr police departed at 2 p.m., leaving a smoking grill in the front yard.
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Dave Hendricks covers McAllen and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at dhendricks@themonitor.com and (956) 683-4452.

http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_a78a0aec-659c-11e2-87cd-001a4bcf6878.html