Airbnb used as shelter for migrants, smuggler arrested: police

DEL RIO, Texas (NewsNation) — The US Department of Homeland Security is warning of a trend of Airbnbs being used as staging areas for human trafficking.

This warning follows a recent operation in El Paso, Texas, where U.S. Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety agents discovered a warehouse housing migrants from Mexico and Guatemala.

The property owner became suspicious after noticing unusual activity and contacted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). On August 8, agents arrested 13 migrants and an alleged smuggler at the home, which was being rented through Airbnb.

“They are putting people beyond the capacity of a particular location,” says former HSI agent

The trend of rental properties as stash houses is not new, often involving one-year leases. However, with short-term rentals, smugglers move people on more quickly, making it harder to prove the homeowner is innocent and not involved in the crime.

Victor Avila, a former HSI special agent, told NewsNation that during his investigations, homeowners were generally unaware of what was going on.

He blames the current government’s policies for the increase in drug depots, saying many people at these locations probably have criminal pasts.

“It could be a house, a garage, a hotel room, a motel room, an apartment, it could be any number of different types of locations,” Avila said. “Sometimes you’re talking about family units, and they’re putting so many people over the capacity of a particular location with the most extreme conditions. — with very little water, very little food, just enough to keep them there while they spread it around like a product.”

HSI sent a statement to NewsNation emphasizing its commitment to the fight against human trafficking.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to vigorously prosecute members of transnational criminal networks who exploit and endanger the people they smuggle into our country. Human traffickers are driven by human greed and heartlessness, and HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work toward the shared goals of securing our borders and protecting our local communities,” said Jason T. Stevens, HSI El Paso Acting Special Agent in Charge.

According to the Border Patrol, these storage facilities are generally overcrowded, unsanitary and unsafe.

How often are warehouses raided?

Stash houses are being busted almost daily in the El Paso Sector. Since the fiscal year began in October, Border Patrol agents have busted at least 234 stash houses and rescued more than 2,300 migrants in the El Paso Sector.

Airbnb isn’t alone; in El Centro, California, agents recently arrested 17 people at a stash house. Border Patrol agents in El Paso disrupted another smuggling operation that saw 27 migrants stashed in an apartment.

As Avila noted, stash houses can be in any location, even a room in a house, which is why they are often called stash locations.

These stash houses aren’t just along the southern border. They’re spread across the U.S. and are used to hide law-evading migrants as they travel from place to place until they reach their final destination, paying the cartel every step of the way.