ICE busts 117 people smuggled into Texas and New Mexico drug stash houses, feds say
The federal immigration crackdown along the U.S.-Mexico border continues.
Federal authorities raided a series of stash houses in West Texas and southern New Mexico last month in an attempt to break up a human smuggling ring, with a side of drugs and money, according to a news release from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
ICE and border patrol officers arrested 18 suspected human smugglers and 117 individuals they say were smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, El Salvador and Peru, the release states.
Two of the 18 suspected smugglers, authorities say, are U.S. citizens with long criminal histories.
Elias Serrano, 42, has previously been convicted of aggravated stalking, kidnapping, possessing a deadly weapon and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute. Some of those offenses occurred in Texas, and others in New Mexico, according to court records.
Jesus Briseno, 25, has previously been convicted of escape from custody, possessing marijuana, assault/causing injury to family member, and driving while intoxicated, according to court records.
Agents also found a combined 1,000 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in the three stash houses, according to ICE. Nine vehicles, including three tractor-trailers, were also seized, KTSM reported.
Three of those smuggled across the border also have criminal histories in the U.S., according to the release. They include a 34-year-old Guatemalan man with an outstanding warrant in Florida for suspicion of driving under the influence, a 30-year-old Mexican man with alleged ties to a drug cartel in Mexico and a 32-year-old Mexican man with prior convictions for child endangerment and driving while intoxicated.
“These smugglers are driven by human greed and heartlessness, Jack P. Staton, special agent in charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations office in El Paso, said in the release. “HSI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, such as Border Patrol, to maintain the integrity of our border and nation’s immigration laws.”
This story was originally published July 14, 2018 at 11:34 AM with the headline "ICE busts 117 people smuggled into Texas and New Mexico drug stash houses, feds say."