HOUSTON -- ICE agents have conducted what they call an "unprecedented" criminal investigation into 14 Houston transport businesses suspected of illegally smuggling people into the county.
On Tuesday, 23 people were arrested and charged with using their businesses to transport recently smuggled aliens. Eighty-one illegal immigrants were also arrested and have been placed in removal proceedings.
The three-month investigation dubbed "Night Moves" targeted both transport businesses suspected of housing immigrants, as well as the individual drivers who move them. ICE agents say Houston has become a growing hub for human trafficking. In one location, immigrants were guarded with weapons, pit bulls and surveillance cameras.
In addition to the arrests, ICE agents also seized 32 vehicles, 18 weapons, and $45,000 cash.
