More than 90 people found in Texas home in suspected human smuggling case

Houston police made discovery while responding to reports of a kidnapping

Police in Texas responding to reports of a kidnapping said on Friday they had found more than 90 people crammed into a two-story suburban Houston home and suspected it was being used in a human smuggling operation.

The 90 victims, all but roughly five of them men, were removed from the house and given food and water, said Daryn Edwards, assistant chief of the Houston Police Department. “They basically [were] in there in their basic clothing and all, all huddled together. So that’s what we saw when we got in,” he said.

No children were found. At least several of the people showed symptoms of Covid-19 infection, including fever and lack of taste or smell, Mr Edwards said. The victims told police they had not eaten recently.

Mr Edwards said no arrests had been made in the case and declined to offer further details, citing the ongoing investigation. – Reuters