Ninety migrants have reportedly been discovered crammed into a house in what is thought to be a possible human smuggling operation.
Officers say they were responding to calls of a suspected kidnapping when they attended the address in Houston, US, to find the inhabitants huddled together having "not eaten in a while."
Possible victims were photographed being carried out of the property on stretchers with several of the group displaying Covid symptoms, according to police.
They are set to do rapid testing while they stay inside the home in Chessington Drive where they were found on Friday.
The owners of the house have said that one man was renting the two-floor residence at the time of the incident.
Officer Edwards said at a press conference that out of 90 people, none were children and the youngest was "in their early 20s" with the oldest "in their upper 30s".
He added that there are roughly five women and that the rest are men.
Houston Police have not confirmed or denied if any arrests have yet been made and said the case has been handed over to Homeland Security.
One neighbor told local news site Click2Houston.com, an NBC affiliate, that there was no “inclination of anything going on” in the house.
“I walk this road when I’m usually out walking. It’s a quiet neighborhood. That’s why we’re here,” said homeowner Wanda Andrews.
Police say several people have lost their sense of taste and smell and are suffering fevers but no one is otherwise injured.
None of the people were tied up, Edwards said, and were all just sitting next to one another.
When officers arrived they supplied the group with food and water as they told them they "hadn't eaten in a while".
Neighbours did not report seeing anything suspicious prior to the discovery, police have said.
