EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Authorities discovered a stash house in El Paso and arrested three people on human smuggling charges, all thanks to a video on TikTok.
According to the United States Department of Justice, American citizen Bryan Fernando Guillen, and Bryan Adrian Florez-Martinez and Hector Emigdio Navarro-Olivas (DOJ did not specify their citizenship) were arrested on Monday in a case that started when law enforcement followed a Mercedes-Benz seen in a TikTok video that was being investigated for content related to human smuggling.
U.S. Border Patrol agents alleged they saw Guillen driving the Mercedes-Benz and dropping off an undocumented migrant at a stash house in El Paso.
The agents then chased after the vehicle, which they described as driving fast and recklessly while ignoring their emergency lights.
According to the criminal complaint, Guillen– and his passenger– were apprehended trying when they ditched the Mercedes at the Ysleta Port of Entry and tried to escape into Mexico.
Ysleta Port of Entry (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
Authorities said in the end, the passenger was let go as investigators determined he was not involved in the alleged human smuggling activities.
Guillen, however, allegedly was aware of the 12 undocumented migrants found in the stash house and was reportedly working with others smuggling and sheltering migrants for about seven months.
RECOMMENDED: Man arrested in Central El Paso accused of owing $24,000 in child support
Meanwhile, according to the DOJ, Flores-Martinez and Navarro-Olivas were arrested when Border Patrol agents saw a red pickup truck driving from the stash house on West Paisano Drive to an area near Asarco, where investigators said they found “fresh, wet, muddy footprints” from six people.
The criminal complaint alleges that the pickup truck returned to the stash house and dropped off the six undocumented migrants.
Flores-Martinez and Navarro-Olivas were then allegedly seen again returning to the stash house after going on a grocery run.
The duo was ultimately arrested after they crossed into El Paso from Ciudad Juarez at the border bridge in Downtown.
Paso del Norte International Bridge (KFOX)
RECOMMENDED: Police say suspect likely fled after barricaded inside a Segundo Barrio business
Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.