Thread: Illegal Immigrants Found In Texas “Drop House”

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/5846591.html

Illegal Immigrants Found In Texas “Drop House”

(February 15, 2007)--Federal officials arrested 46 illegal immigrants who were being held in dirty conditions and behind locked doors at a Houston drop house.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Luisa Deason says an anonymous call led agents to the house in north Houston Wednesday.

Officials believe smugglers were holding the illegal immigrants in the house until their friends or relatives could "buy them out."

Deason described the conditions as "deplorable," with the 46 people kept in four or five bedrooms.

The 46 immigrants included ten women and eight juveniles between the ages of 8 and 17.

The group was made up of 19 Hondurans, eleven Mexicans, ten El Salvadorans, five Guatemalans and one Brazilian.

Deason says the agents also arrested nine other people suspected of being involved in human smuggling.

It is interesting that they call it human smuggling when the illegal's are willingly being smuggled.

Originally Posted by Cindy

It is interesting that they call it human smuggling when the illegal's are willingly being smuggled.

good point, it makes the criminal aliens sound innocent.... almost.

Duplicate posting..
There was one earlier on the same subject.

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=54417

It's slavery. These people are indentured and held by captors. What's the difference between them and a caged animal?

This is disgustig behavior.

Dixie

Treated like animals. the criminal aliens pay the smugglers to be treated that way. Sounds much like an individual who pays a pro for a whipping. You pay for what you get. Yes it is bad but if they had stayed in their own countries they would not have been treated like that.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 55179.html

Feb. 15, 2007, 1:11AM
Tip leads to arrest of 46 illegal immigrants in north Houston house


By ANNE MARIE KILDAY
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

An anonymous tip led to the arrests of 55 people — at least 46 of them illegal immigrants — by Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities Wednesday at a north Houston house in "extremely deplorable" conditions.

ICE spokeswoman Luisa Deason said that of the 46 illegal immigrants, 10 were women and eight were juveniles, between the ages of 8 and 17. All were being kept behind locked doors. Firearms also were recovered at the house, Deason said.

The nine others taken into ICE custody "are people whom we have reason to believe may be involved in (human) smuggling," Deason said.

The house is located at 627 Hahlo, near Lyons, in the Denver Harbor neighborhood.

"The conditions inside the house were extremely deplorable," Deason said. "There was no furniture in the home. There were four or five bedrooms in which the aliens were being kept behind locked doors. There was a real bad smell in the house, and there was garbage.

"Someone was cooking them food," Deason said. "When you see those kinds of conditions, it's a pretty clear indicator that it's a drop house."

A drop house is a place where smugglers hold illegal immigrants, until their friends or relatives "can buy them out," Deason said.

Of the 46 people taken into custody for illegally entering the country, 11 were from Mexico, 19 were from Honduras, 10 were from El Salvador, five were from Guatemala, and one was from Brazil.

Deason did not say what counties the nine other people are from, but added: "We believe those individuals have some role in how these other people were smuggled illegally into this country."

No charges had been filed Wednesday night, Deason said.

The first step is for ICE officials to interview the illegal immigrants, and to conduct background checks for criminal records or previous arrests for deportation, Deason said. They also will be questioned about the suspected smugglers, and how long they were held at the drop house.

"We will do our best to put a substantial amount of evidence together and then present that. Hopefully, get a great case out of it," Deason said.

Deason said she did not know how long the immigrants had been held at the house.

The raid, which happened about 3 p.m. Wednesday, was the result of a direct call to ICE from a person who requested anonymity.

"This is the time of the year when things start to pick up again," Deason said. The anonymous tipster reported "movement" of a lot of people in and out of the house, Deason said.

"This is why we ask the community to be aware of their surroundings. If there is constant movement of people, or people bringing in a lot of food on a constant basis, if it makes you uncomfortable, call the local authorities," Deason said. "This was a rare case, when we were the first law enforcement agency on the scene."

Because of potential danger, people should call 911, and allow local police to handle any "life-threatening" circumstances. Then, people should feel free to follow up with a toll-free call to ICE, at 1-866-DHS-2ICE, Deason suggested.

Originally Posted by Lone_Patriot

Originally Posted by Cindy

It is interesting that they call it human smuggling when the illegal's are willingly being smuggled.

good point, it makes the criminal aliens sound innocent.... almost.

Yeah, the next thing you know, they will call rape, human snuggling. Sickos!!