PHARR — A woman who said she was raped by her captors was rescued along with 45 other migrants believed to be in the country illegally Sunday inside a home in Pharr.
Police received a 9-1-1 call from a man saying he and several other people were being held against their will inside a residence on Robin Avenue, according to a news release.
Officers located the home and found 47 people inside. A Salvadoran woman said she was raped by two smugglers who recorded the assault on an iPad tablet, the release states.
One of the smugglers, a Mexican citizen, was arrested. Border Patrol agents assisted in the raid and apprehended 46 migrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras. They were all transported to the McAllen Border Patrol station for processing, the release states.
It was the second stash house raided in less than two days. Monday, 71 migrants were found inside a home in the 1200 block of Coyote Street near Donna. The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office assisted Border Patrol with the raid.
Officials encourage the public to report possible stash houses or any other suspicious activity.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has a designated hotline to report stash houses, and tips can result in a reward of up to $2,500. The hotline is (800) 252-8477. Border Patrol can be reached directly on its tip line (800) 863-9382.
The Hidalgo County Sherriff’s Office Crime Stoppers can be reached at (956) 668-8477, and its smartphone application is called P3 Tips.
