Texas Woman Arrested for Human Smuggling Hundreds of Miles from Border

A Texas woman is currently in prison for allegedly making migrants stay in her house while she paid off human smugglers’ debts. One of the migrants tried to flee her home but was caught by the police.

Round Rock police received a report from a woman claiming that her home had been broken into. According to KVUE, a police affidavit that was filed police revealed that the woman had a Honduran migrant living in her home. She forced him to work to repay debts owed to human smugglers. According to KVUE, the man owed $9,200 to the smugglers who brought his belongings from Mexico to Texas.

Mariana Salgado (48), was taken into custody by police and taken to Williamson County Jail. She is currently being held on a Smuggling of person charge. Her bond is $7,500.

According to reports, the Honduran migrant made arrangements with Salgado for him to be smuggled into Texas. According to the affidavit, the fee for the smuggling arrangement was $9,000. Salgado and her husband picked up the migrants in San Antonio and brought them to Round Rock, north of Austin in Central Texas.

According to Delgado, he told the man that he could not leave until he paid off the debt. According to reports, a girlfriend of the Honduran national paid $5,200 for his services. To earn $350, the man also installed cabinets. Salgado’s wife received the money as a payment for his debt. KXAN reported that the man earned $120 per day for his work, which was used to repay the debt.

Officials discovered three additional migrants living in the house who were being forced to pay back debts for human trafficking. The total owed by all three migrants was $9,200. Salgado, according to reports, paid the fee in advance for the coyotes that brought them from Mexico into Texas.

Another time, the Honduran man tried to escape his captivity. Salgado’s employees found the Honduran man hiding in a convenience store. They forced him to get into a car. They brought the man back to Salgado.

Salgado also required migrants to hand over their identification documents, which she kept until the debts were settled, according to the affidavit.

The spiral notebook contained detailed records that were found during a search of the house. These records included details about the payments and debts owed to the migrants.

According to the Honduran man, he was in the house for approximately a month. He claimed he slept in his living room. He claimed that he only owned his identification papers and two watches.

Salgado is still in custody for human smuggling allegations.