Armed Border Stash House Busted Across from Texas Day Care

In Pharr, Texas, a stash house reportedly containing 67 illegal immigrants was busted April 28. Local reports state that the home was across the street from a day care for young children. 

According to local media outlet Action 4 News, the illegal immigrants inside the house were citizens of various countries, including Mexico and Peru. 

The home was allegedly discovered when maintenance personnel came to fix a problem with the sewage line. Reports state that the house’s owners rented out the residence to a family one week prior.

When officials arrived on the scene, one unnamed man tried to flee, according to Action 4. The man, whose identity is being withheld, reportedly fought with officers and even bit a Border Patrol agent. 

Zack Taylor, Chairman of the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers, told Breitbart Texas that finding 67 immigrants inside one stash house is not particularly unusual.

“I’ve gotten that many or more out of one motel room before,” Taylor said. “I used to work in McAllen – finding 100 individuals in a stash house in McAllen is not unusual. Smugglers try to keep immigrants in those places for a short time, if possible. They need to get the immigrants out as fast as possible because they have more coming to take their place.”

Taylor mentioned the potential threat posed to the day care by this particular stash house discovered in Pharr. He said, “I’ve discovered that many aliens in a church that has a kindergarten. They try to conceal themselves. But if some kind of conflict erupts, it would likely spill over and could definitely affect the day care.”

Breitbart Texas has reported on several human stash house busts in 2014. 

In March, a human stash house containing 115 individuals was discovered in Houston on March 19. In that case, five men have pled guilty to conspiracy and firearms charges in relation to the  house. At least two of the five defendants admitted to being in the United States illegally. 

Houston Police Department spokesman John Cannon told Breitbart Texas that at the scene, officers found “a sea of people, some sitting on top of each other” inside the small home, which had boards on the windows and deadbolts on the doors. A criminal complaint said, “A wooden paddle, a stungun, two shotguns, and several types of ammunition were found inside the residence.”

The five defendants charged in relation to the Houston-based human stash house each face 15 years in federal prison. Those who are not U.S. citizens will likely be deported from the country after serving time.

Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate