ICE: As many as 100 immigrants found in SE Houston house
ICE: As many as 100 immigrants found in SE Houston house
Author: Matt Aufdenspring, Web Managing Editor, Click2Houston.com
Jill Courtney, Sr. Web Editor, Click2Houston.com
Published On: 1 h Updated 4 m
Aerials of suspected immigrant stash house bust
HOUSTON -As many as 100 immigrants were found at a suspected stash house in southeast Houston, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Authorities say they responded to a home in the 14700 block of Almeda School Road Wednesday morning where as many as 100 people, including a pregnant woman, were detained.
We're told the ages of those detained are from as young as ten to over 50 years old.
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Officials say three people were arrested for trying to run from police.
Several law enforcement agencies are working this investigation, including the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston Police Department, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
No other information has been released at this time. We'll post more details here as they come into the newsroom.
http://www.click2houston.com/news/ic...house/25053874
Over 100 Illegal Immigrants and Children Found Crammed in Filthy Houston Stash House
by Kristin Tate 20 Mar 2014, 6:08 AM PDT
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On Wednesday morning, 109 individuals were discovered inside a locked residence--Houston Police Department (HPD) spokesman John Cannon confirmed to Breitbart Texas.
Cannon said that the home, located on Almeda School Road, appeared to be the site of a human trafficking scene. When officers initially entered the home around 11 a.m. this morning, "they saw a sea of people, some sitting on top of each other," Cannon said. "The conditions inside were filthy and dirty. Everywhere you looked there were clothes on the floor. There was one bathroom, no hot water, and a toilet that was only partially working... We got all the people out of the home. They were very tired and hungry so we provided them with food and water."
94 males and 15 females, ages five to 50, were being held inside the home. Many were children, some who seemed to be without parents. Cannon said that three of the individuals, thought to be smugglers, attempted to run away from police and were arrested as a result. Although no individuals on the scene appeared to be injured, Cannon said one woman found in the home was pregnant--she was transported by a nearby hospital to receive care.
At this point, it is unclear how long the individuals were being held in the house, but several of them told HPD officers they were there for two to four days.
Cannon also noted that several large coops containing hundreds of chickens were found on the residence, "indicating illegal activity with chickens be it fighting or other operations."
Greg Palmore of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Breibart Texas that the alleged human stash house is the largest he has ever seen during his seven years on the job. He said, "To date this is the largest numbers of individuals in one residence I have ever seen."
Although the stashed individuals’’ citizenship status has not yet been determined, Palmore said they are likely in the U.S. illegally.
All of the recovered individuals are currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "The people will be taken to ICE's detention facility where they will be processed--they will each be finger printed and interviewed, one by one," Palmore said.
Cannon said that the house was discovered after family members of a 24-year-old woman contacted police. The family members "were told to go to a location in North Houston and exchange ransom money to pick up the woman and her two kids," Cannon said. "When the suspect did not show up, the family became concerned and contacted the HPD."
HPD officers were able to connect the family members to the house on Almeda School Road and set up surveillance cameras on the property. At 10 a.m., officers saw a vehicle leaving the residence. Officers pulled over the vehicle--they found several firearms and other evidence indicating illegal activity. The decision was then made to enter the house, in search of the woman and two children.
Officers were surprised to find the "massive" group of people they discovered upon entering the house.
The case is being investigated by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the HPD, and ICE.
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-T...ple-in-Houston
Officials release more information on suspected stash house conditions
Published On: Mar 20 2014 07:49:58 PM CDT Updated 2 h
Phil Archer
click2houston.com
HOUSTON -
Federal agents said a total of 115 immigrants were being held at a suspected stash house in south Harris County by five smuggling suspects who are now in custody.
Special agent Brian Moskowitz with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told members of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, meeting today in Houston, that the suspects will be charged with “a variety of federal offenses, including hostage taking, unlawful possession of a firearm and conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.”
Houston police made the discovery Wednesday morning in the 14700 block of Almeda School Road. Police said they had been conducting surveillance at the home after they received a report of a kidnapping Tuesday night.
Police said they were contacted by the family of a 24-year-old woman who reported that a human smuggler, or "coyote", had failed to show up at a meeting place where they were supposed to turn over the woman and her two children, ages five and seven.
According to Houston police, the investigation led to the home on Almeda School Road, where they pulled over a vehicle that was seen leaving Wednesday morning. Police said inside the suspects' vehicle they found two guns and evidence of a human smuggling operation.
Speaking to the same committee Thursday, Houston Police Chief McClelland said, “We believed someone's life was in jeopardy."
Once inside, the officers found a "sea of people," ranging in age from teens to adults.
"Bodies upon bodies, people stacked on top of each other. Dirty, filthy, conditions," said HPD spokesman John Cannon.
Police said a total of 94 men and 14 women were discovered, including one pregnant woman who was taken to a hospital for treatment.
"I can't believe it, can't believe because you never see that," said one neighbor.
The men were wearing only underwear and no shoes, so they couldn't escape, police said. The doors were locked from the outside.
An ICE official told Local 2 it was the largest operation it's encountered in five years. Authorities said 500 chickens were also found on the property.
Local 2 reporter Phil Archer toured the interior of the house Thursday, and found it dark as a cave, with the exception of a few, bare light bulbs. The windows were covered with sheets. The floor was a heap of blankets, garbage bags and trash. A few, dirty box spring mattresses were scattered in the two bedrooms and a built-on extension.
The immigrants were also detained and were taken to an ICE detention facility. Once there, they'll be fingerprinted and undergo medical screenings.
Each person will also have a one-on-one interview.
Some may be returned to their home countries, but decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. All of the them will have the opportunity to go before an immigration judge.
And all will have an opportunity to apply for a “U-Visa,” which allows illegals who are also victims of crime to live and work legally in the U.S. for four years.
http://www.click2houston.com/news/of...tions/25081154
