A stash house in Houston, Tx. has been busted after cops found 108 immigrants, suspected to have been in the US illegally, being held there.
According to police spokesman John Cannon, 94 men and 14 women, along with 2 children, were found in the house being held against their own will, reports The NY Daily News.
The cops had initially been searching for a 24-year-old woman and her two children, ages seven and nine, who had been reported missing on Tuesday. Their search led them to the stash house, in which they found the woman and her kids, who were safe despite the conditions of the house.
“No one looked to be seriously injured inside the home. They were very hungry and thirsty, and our officers gave them things to eat and provided water. They said they were tired and hungry," Cannon said, according to CNN.
Most of the hostages said they were in the house for three to four days, while one woman said she had been there for 15 days.
Five men were arrested in connection with smuggling the immigrants into the US and keeping them hostage. The immigrants, who came from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador, were taken to U.S. Immigration and Customer Enforcement.
Neighbors said they were “stunned” and had no knowledge of the situation.