Federal authorities keep finding migrant stash houses in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and Immigration Customs Enforcement agents, among others, continue to find stash houses across the Borderland.
With stash houses recently found inside homes and even short-term rentals, the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations told ABC-7 that HSI El Paso special agents have discovered more than 20 Airbnb properties that were used as stash houses in the past two years.
Last Friday, HSI EL Paso and Border Patrol agents arrested 13 migrants and 1 smuggler in a Central El Paso house rented on Airbnb; it was the second time that week. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) also assisted with this operation.
On Aug. 6, agents assigned to the Border Enforcement Task Force (BEST) also arrested 56 undocumented noncitizens in a stash house in West El Paso.
ABC-7 reached out to U.S. Border Patrol El Paso sector to learn more about the recent trend in stash houses in the El Paso - Ciudad Juárez Borderplex.
Agent and spokesman Orlando Marrero-Rubio said they are seeing a trend of transnational criminal organizations exploiting migrants with the false promise of a safe and secure passage into the country.
But for migrants, the reality is different as human smugglers only put them in danger risking their lives with no regard for the migrants' well-being.
Currently, El Paso Sector for FY2024, Border Patrol has seen 240 stash houses with 2,361 migrants rescued so far. On FY203 they saw a little over 260 stash houses.
Federal authorities continue to see a 37%decrease on the encounters and apprehensions of migrants.
This year, Border Patrol El Paso Sector has recorded over 218,000 encounters, this same time last year they saw 344,000.
"They're making them cross in remote areas almost already dehydrated. Most of the rescues occur within a mile of the border barrier, which tells us that they are being kept in stash houses outside of the U.S., where there's a lack of food, lack of nutrition. So when that migrant makes that entry, that illegal entry into the country, they're already dehydrated, in need of rescue."
This fiscal year the El Paso Sector has also seen an increase in migrant rescues and deaths with 828 rescues, last year it closed with 597, that's a 129% increase according to Agent Marrero-Rubio.
FY2023 closed with 149, this fiscal year has seen 155 so far.
"You understand, the migrants they don't know where they're going to cross. They do not dictate where they're going to cross. The transnational criminal organizations, the human smugglers, and the human trafficking traffickers are the ones that will dictate where they cross and where they will be taken," Agent Marrero-Rubio added.
