Police just busted another human smuggling ring in Houston, Texas. Law enforcement rescued more than a dozen half-naked prisoners locked in a boarded-up house. The victims were all illegal immigrants from Mexico and central America.
Houston police bust trafficking ring
Houston Police are investigating a human smuggling operation after they discovered more than a dozen people locked in a home on Ridgeton Street.
The saga began when police received a desperate call about a kidnapping. When police arrived at the scene they were approached by a man in his underwear who said he just escaped from a home where he and others were being held against their own will.
Police officers were able to make entry into the home, where they discovered more than a dozen other people all half naked. Police say the victims were not bound but they were locked inside the house. The windows and doors were locked and also boarded up.
The victims were all Hispanic, from a variety of countries including Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Cuba. All of the people found in the home have been taken to Ridgemont Elementary School for shelter.
Neighbors in the area have reportedly stepped in to help by providing them with clothes. Houston police said they have possible suspects detained and are waiting on immigration officials to begin their investigation.
Breaking: @houstonpolice pull dozens of near-naked men from house in SW #Houston after a kidnapping call. Neighbors have brought clothes. More info to come #abc13 pic.twitter.com/6YMN83Y7p5
— Jessica Willey (@ImJessicaWilley) December 4, 2020
Human smuggling in America
President Trump has been tough on immigration and he promised to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.
He’s also committed to fighting human trafficking, much of which takes place along the border where coyotes smuggle illegal aliens into the country. “My administration is putting unprecedented pressure on traffickers at home and abroad,” Trump said at a White House meeting on trafficking this year. “My administration is fighting these monsters, persecuting and prosecuting them, and locking them away for a very, very long time. We’ve had a tremendous track record — the best track record in a long time.”