HOUSTON – What started with a report of kidnapping in southwest Houston turned out to be something much more serious, Houston Police said Friday.
More than 90 people were discovered inside a modest two-story residence and now the Police are investigating the case as a possible human smuggling operation.
Houston Police posted on their Twitter account that they found 93 people being held against their will in a residence located in the 12210 block of Chessington Drive.
HPD Commanders and PIO at 12200 Chessington Drive after dozens of persons found inside a residence. Incident initially reported as a kidnapping and may possibly involve human smuggling. Media briefing expected in about an hour. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/uNyKoYy00n
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) April 30, 2021
In images that appeared in different newscasts, officers can be seen entering and leaving the residence. Dozens of people were taken from the residence to be transferred to a detention center.
Officials noted that these people will be undergoing rapid tests for COVID-19 to determine if there are some who are infected, given the level of overcrowding in which they were.
Some of the people were reported to have symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough and fever and others who had no sense of smell, authorities said.
.. White vans on left just arrived to collect 90+ men and women found in house. Neighbors tell me they never suspected anything unusual. I’m told a family member of one of those held reported it. I’ll have more from here beginning on @KHOU at 4:00 # khou11 pic.twitter.com/6bqJJ3NQL0
— Jason Miles (@JMilesKHOU) April 30, 2021
In total, there were five women and 88 men who were found in the house.
The deputy chief of police, Patricia Cantú, assured that the authorities were warned of what was happening in that house on Thursday night.
The Police are investigating who the victims are and who is responsible for having put him in that residence.
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