HOUSTON (KYTX) -- 14 people, including an 8 year old, were freed by federal agents after being held hostage in a Texas house.
Federal agents say the victims are illegal immigrants and the people smuggling them into the U.S. held them until they could get their payment.
Houston police first stopped an expensive escalade driving away. They found two suspects and marijuana inside. Then they went to the house and found 16 more people.
Some of them, a mix of smugglers and illegal immigrants, tried to run away but police were able to catch all of them; including a woman who fell while jumping from one roof to the other. She is now at Ben Taub Hospital.
Neighbors first called police because they thought someone might be dealing drugs at the house. But they didn't suspect human smuggling.
"I've got kids," neighbor Esme Perez said. "I've got small kids that play here in the neighborhood and that really does worry me."
Some of the immigrants are from Honduras and have been held by coyotes at gunpoint until their families could pay for their release.
"I think that's just plain wrong," neighbor Sandra Ortiz said. "Just because they're illegal you shouldn't have any kind of person holding anybody captive."
I mean that's inhuman.'
Police say the smugglers expected 14 immigrants, including the 8-year-old girl, to net them $60,000.
KYTX
Federal agents say the victims are illegal immigrants and the people smuggling them into the U.S. held them until they could get their payment.
Houston police first stopped an expensive escalade driving away. They found two suspects and marijuana inside. Then they went to the house and found 16 more people.
Some of them, a mix of smugglers and illegal immigrants, tried to run away but police were able to catch all of them; including a woman who fell while jumping from one roof to the other. She is now at Ben Taub Hospital.
Neighbors first called police because they thought someone might be dealing drugs at the house. But they didn't suspect human smuggling.
"I've got kids," neighbor Esme Perez said. "I've got small kids that play here in the neighborhood and that really does worry me."
Some of the immigrants are from Honduras and have been held by coyotes at gunpoint until their families could pay for their release.
"I think that's just plain wrong," neighbor Sandra Ortiz said. "Just because they're illegal you shouldn't have any kind of person holding anybody captive."
I mean that's inhuman.'
Police say the smugglers expected 14 immigrants, including the 8-year-old girl, to net them $60,000.
KYTX
