HOUSTON -- Six men face charges for stashing 67 illegal immigrants in a one-story house in a residential neighborhood in Houston, federal officials said.

The residence is thought to be one of many stash houses—where human smugglers deposit illegal immigrants until they can be moved or ransomed—located in Houston, said Luisa Deason, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The city is considered by law enforcement officials to be a hub for human smuggling, she said.

The six men charged are Felipe Muniz-DeLaMora, Jose Garcia-Garcia, Luis Alberto Lara-Gutierrez, David Palomera-Romero, Juan Carlos Perales-Solis and Nelson Sergio Aguinaga-Aleman, officials said. They were scheduled to appear in court Monday.

Police discovered the stash house Thursday after a man approached an officer asking for help. He told police a relative and other people at the house were being held captive for ransom, Houston police spokesman John Cannon said.

Police notified customs officials, who will begin deportation procedures, Deason said. The immigrants include 26 from Honduras, 24 from El Salvador, 13 from Mexico and two each from Brazil and Guatemala.

Also under investigation is a van service located next door, which officials believe might have been used to transport some of the illegal immigrants.

Neighbors in this quiet community acknowledged wondering about what was going on at the house.