Santa Teresa migrant stash house is latest in unprecedented number of Borderland raids
EL PASO, Texas -- After several Borderland stash house raids that turned up 134 hidden migrants and nearly $600,000 worth of methamphetamine last week, the U.S. Border Patrol said Thursday it had has raided yet another stash house in southern New Mexico.
Border Patrol's El Paso sector chief released video of this latest stash house bust in Santa Teresa with 32 migrants; it's the latest in what has been an unprecedented number of stash house raids this year.
A STASH HOUSE! Smugglers utilize these homes within our communities to hold migrants before transporting them further into the #USA. At times, migrants are forced to remain inside in deplorable conditions without food or water. Call us to report this activity at 1-800-635-2509! pic.twitter.com/axT32q4tsy
— Gloria I. Chavez (@USBPChiefEPT) July 22, 2021
Last week's raids took place in Vado and Chaparral in southern New Mexico as well as San Elizario in west Texas. In all, there have been at least a half-dozen stash house raids in the past month.
So far this year, border agents in the El Paso sector have busted 195 stash houses - resulting in more than 1,800 migrant arrests. That compares to a total of 66 stash houses raided during all of last year.
Authorities said the migrants found inside these hideouts have come from Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
"Smugglers utilize these homes within our communities to hold migrants before transporting them further into the USA. At times, migrants are forced to remain inside in deplorable conditions without food or water," said Border Patrol Sector Chief Gloria Chavez.
She encouraged citizens to report stash house activity to the Border Patrol by calling 1-800-635-2509.
