Tens of migrants were freed from a stash house in Mexico after a neighbor alerted authorities, according to a new report.
The house was located west of downtown Juarez, close to the U.S. border. After local police officers were alerted, they knocked on the door and found a woman who said she and others were threatened and told to remain there or face harm.
Fearing for their safety, agents ended up entering the house and freeing 21 people. Some hailed from China, Guatemala, El Salvador and southern Mexico, according to Border Report.
Several such incidents take place in Juarez, near the border with Texas. Over a dozen people were rescued from another stash house in early December as they were being held for ransom by smugglers.
Back then, Chihuahua state police officers went to the house after surveillance cameras recorded suspicious activity. They ended up rescuing 18 people.
Another rescue took place in November, when 23 migrants were rescued. They were being held in two separate houses. Six people were rescued in the first one, and 17 in the second one.
The second house was located about a mile from the Rio Grande. Officers noticed a suspicious vehicle and sought to question the driver, who proceeded to point a gun at officers and tried to flee. The person was then arrested, with officers finding two rifles, handguns and over$16,000 in cash.
In June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested over a dozen migrants following a raid in a stash house in Mercedes, Texas.
The operation took place following an anonymous tip. After officials went to the property, its owner said there were 16 people inside the home. All were taken into custody, while a separate person was questioned for his potential role in human smuggling.
Originally published on Latin Times
