Border Patrol arrested a Roma couple last Friday who agents say operated a stash house where a woman’s three daughters were present as authorities surrounded the home.
Angela Maria Falcon, born in 1976, and Juan Narvaez Jr., born in 1975, appeared in federal court Monday over accusations that they harbored 12 people who were in the country illegally at the Roma residence, court records show.
According to the criminal complaint, the Starr County District Attorney’s Office asked Border Patrol for assistance for a knock-and-talk at a suspected stash house at 3122 Escobares Loop in Roma.
Information received by authorities indicated that 40 people who were in the country illegally were at the location. Border Patrol, the Roma Police Department and the Starr County Sheriff’s Office all responded to the residence and tried to make contact with Narvaez, who denied consent to search the propery, according to the complaint.
So authorities sought a search warrant and set up a perimeter around the residence, authorities say.
At around 12:30 p.m., Border Patrol agents watching the north side of the residence reported observing 20 people run out of the back of the location toward a fence, the criminal complaint stated.
“The subjects climbed over an eight foot cinder block wall and ran into other residences on both the north side and east side of the target location,” according to the complaint. “As agents called out (to) the subjects running out the back of the residence, Narvaez stepped out of the house and attempted to distract the officers covering the south side of the residence by acting belligerent toward them.”
Agents say in the court document that as they talked to Narvaez, other agents apprehended the people who made a run from the residence.
Once authorities obtained the search warrant, agents discovered two people in the country illegally inside the residence and encountered Falcon, Narvaez’s girlfriend, according to the complaint.
“After a thorough search of the residence and neighborhood, a total of 12 suspected illegal aliens were apprehended,” the complaint stated.
Narvaez did not waive his Miranda rights and declined to talk to investigators, court records indicate.
Falcon, however, waived her Miranda rights and agreed to speak, authorities say.
According to Falcon, she didn’t live at the residence but went there the night before to take Narvaez groceries, according to the complaint, which states that she said Narvaez told her to go to a room.
“Falcon stated that she imagined something was going on but that she never saw anyone because the house is so big,” the criminal complaint stated. “Falcon stated that the following morning she was going to leave the residence with her daughters but noticed the residence was blocked off by law enforcement officers.”
Court records indicate she claimed to not know what was going on in the house.
One of the people agents say was apprehended for being in the country illegally, however, contradicted Falcon’s claim.
According to a Mexican citizen arrested at the location, a woman with three daughters who was identified through a photo line-up as Falcon would give the people in the stash house instructions, a complaint stated.
Both Narvaez and Falcon are being held temporarily pending probable cause and detention hearings, court records indicate.
