Fort Bend Co. Crime: 3 men arrested in human smuggling case
FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas - Three men have been arrested and charged in connection to a human smuggling scheme, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.
Jose Aguirre, 24, Jose Aguirre Martin, 22, and Orlando Noe Betancur Flores, 21, were arrested.
On Aug. 30. at approximately 12:00 pm, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a check welfare call leading to an investigation at the 12000 block of Meadow Hollow Drive.
Officials said the initial investigation led to human smuggling, with several immigrants allegedly held captive against their will.
As investigators of the Human Trafficking Unit responded, the investigation led to information regarding kidnapping and human smuggling of immigrants, five of whom were recovered at a residence, officials said. The immigrants were allegedly illegally smuggled from Mexico. The five victims were being held captive in a locked un-air-conditioned garage pending payment of additional money.
Jose Aguirre, Jose Martin, and Orlando Flores were each charged with this offense, and bond was set at $500,000 for Martin and $500,000 for Flores. Jose Aguirre was also charged with Aggravated Kidnapping. His bond is currently pending.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers released this statement on Wednesday saying,
"I want to congratulate Sheriff Fagan and his deputies for freeing these captives. I'm concerned about the border policies that created this life-threatening situation where violent criminals came into the City of Meadows Place and ran a human smuggling operation. Illegal entry into this country is a crime. Still, no one should be locked inside a steaming hot garage when the temperature hovers around 100 degrees so a criminal can extract a few more dollars for their captives' release. Any criminal who is that heartless is a genuine threat to our residents. I applaud Governor Abbott's effort to protect our border from these criminals who are also bringing deadly fentanyl into our state and nation."
"We are dedicated to keeping our community safe while combating heinous crimes such as these, and we are working tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice", said Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan. "While arrests have been made, this investigation continues in order to ensure all involved are held accountable."