Police in Texas ended a suspected human smuggling operation being run out of a Houston home Wednesday, rescuing 10 captives and arresting two people, authorities said.
The 10 captives were discovered at a house in southwest Houston, Houston police tweeted.
"We never see anybody coming in and out of the house," longtime resident András Bognar told the Houston Chronicle, adding that the house has been rented multiple times over the past several years.
Houston police Lt. Larry Crowson told the newspaper the seven men and two women rescued from the house were immigrants in the U.S. illegally. The origin of the captives is unknown.
The two people who were arrested have not been identified, and they have not been charged yet, Crowson said.
Police initially responded around 3:30 p.m. to a convenience store where a man said he was being held hostage. Police found the man, as well as a person armed with a pistol, Crowson said.
Police said someone was seen pushing the man into a vehicle, KHOU-TV reported.
The man directed police to a house where police found seven men other and two women, all of whom were in the country illegally, Crowson said. Police said they also found a second suspect there.
He said the Houston Fire Department determined all 10 people to be in good condition. They will be placed in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Houston police and ICE are continuing to investigate the incident.
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