10 suspected illegal immigrants detained after discovery of child porn at Texas 'stash house'
Authorities arrested 10 suspected illegal migrants at a Texas residence after receiving a tip about child pornography downloads coming from a home that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said was a "stash house" for human smuggling.
The Chambers County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant last week based on a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children database. When the authorities arrived at the home, the occupants refused to open the door, prompting deputies to force their way into the residence.
According to a statement from the sheriff's office, authorities believe that the 10 individuals are in the U.S. illegally. Some appeared to be of Asian descent, while others seemed to be from Guatemala.
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Various law enforcement agencies, including Department of Homeland Security agents and the Mont Belvieu Police Department, responded to the scene. Authorities transported all 10 suspects to the Chambers County Jail for processing by Homeland Security Investigations.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the residence was a "stash house for human smuggling activities." DHS is still investigating the suspects' immigration status.
"On April 11, Homeland Security Investigations Houston assisted our state and local partners with a law enforcement action related to an ongoing child exploitation investigation," the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
"During the course of the enforcement action and based on the individuals encountered, the structure was additionally determined to be a stash house for human smuggling activities," the spokesperson continued. "HSI Houston is continuing to work with our state and local partners in furtherance of this investigation."
As Fox 26 reported last week, officers who executed the warrant seized several electronic devices. However, the content of these devices is unknown.
"Those types of downloads are illegal and are heavily monitored," Captain Bryan Baker of the Chambers County Sheriff's Office said, as quoted by Fox 26.
While law enforcement officials have not disclosed the homeowner's name, Fox 26 reporters claimed they witnessed an individual leaving the residence before taking off in a car. However, the neighbors in the community claimed that the man had been at the scene earlier.
Earlier this month, Texas officials discovered five illegal migrants inside a separate stash house that also contained an altar to the cartel patron saint Santa Muerte.
Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland told The Christian Post at the time that authorities learned about the house through an anonymous tip. According to Cleveland, the homeowner denied any knowledge of illegal activity, which the sheriff said he found hard to believe.
Cleveland said the migrants had been returned to Mexico and that the group was part of a smuggling organization called "Mendoza-Nandho." The organization is known for smuggling illegal immigrants from Hidalgo, Texas, into other parts of the country.
"They have historically smuggled illegal aliens to Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia," Cleveland said. "The Terrell County Sheriff's Office has interdicted five smuggling loads in recent months associated to this organization."
As The Daily Mail previously reported, the group of migrants discovered in the house was comprised of four men and one woman. The authorities also found a tunnel that they believe could have been used to hide drugs.
Another discovery included an altar to the cartel patron saint Santa Muerte, with bottles of tequila and cigarettes laid before her as offerings. The saint is the personification of death, and law enforcement agencies say it is a commonly used symbol in organized crime.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
