Signs of Stash Houses

The West Texas HIDTA (High Density Drug Trafficing Areas) Stash House unit would like to remind the public of possible indicators of a stash house:

1)    Rental homes

2)    Attached garages

3)     Unkept Yards

4)     Little or no furniture

5)    Occupants keep to themselves (not visible on a daily basis)

6)    Occupants will not hold a normal pattern of lifestyle

7)    Different vehicles (especially vans and pickup trucks) entering and exiting the garage

8)    Vehicles arriving at the stash house will have different out of state plates (Texas, New Mexico, Mexico, and paper “buyer” or “dealer”)

9)    Sudden activity in the home after days or weeks of not seeing anyone at the home

10) Accumulation of advertisements on the front door

11) Occupants do not usually put their trash out for regular collection, but instead prefer to dump it at another location themselves.

These again are some of the typical indicators of a stash house, and these indicators alone do not necessarily mean that the occupants of the home are running a stash house.  As a general rule, if residents believe there is suspicious activity in a home in their area, they should call the West Texas Stash House Unit at 629-8600 or Crime Stoppers at 566-8477(TIPS).  

Our contact at the El Paso Police Central Command is Officer Henry Slack, 915-838-8013.