EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Federal authorities say a search of an El Paso home uncovered what investigators described as a stash house, leading to a dozen arrests and the discovery of three juveniles inside.

A U.S. citizen and an illegal immigrant from Venezuela were charged in federal court in El Paso this week for their alleged roles in a human smuggling operation, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons.

Court documents state that U.S. Border Patrol agents served a federal search warrant at an El Paso residence on April 20.

Before serving the warrant, agents conducting surveillance followed two people who left the home and detained them for additional investigation.

Authorities identified one as Edith Marie Dominguez, a U.S. citizen, and the other as Gregory Jose Daniel Martinez-Tovar, from Venezuela.

Agents and partner agencies then returned to the residence on Bon Aire Drive to serve the warrant.

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During the search, agents allegedly found what they described as deplorable living conditions, including scattered trash and covered windows, which authorities said were consistent with stash house operations, officials said.

Investigators said 10 adults and three juveniles were found in various rooms of the residence.

Authorities said all of the adults and one of the unaccompanied juveniles were confirmed to be illegally present.

According to court documents and testimony during Monday’s detention hearing, agents also located evidence they said was tied to smuggling, including ledgers, cell phones, U.S. currency and multiple firearms.

Dominguez and Martinez-Tovar, who had been detained before the search, were arrested and charged with one count of alien smuggling, authorities said.

A criminal complaint alleges Dominguez had been involved in the smuggling operation for about one year and admitted working with a smuggler to transport aliens within the El Paso area and to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The complaint also alleges she helped others avoid detection while smuggling aliens through U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints in New Mexico. Authorities said both Dominguez and Martinez-Tovar admitted acting as caretakers of the stash house.

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