Video shows FBI raid in home east of Houston, investigators say several potential victims rescued

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Multiple people were taken into custody after a surprise FBI raid Wednesday morning just east of downtown Houston.

The raid happened on Harby Street near Sidney Street, and investigators said several potential victims were rescued. Surveillance video showed a man rushing inside as a SWAT team rolled up, their armored vehicle's tactical battering ram busting open the door and breaking the early morning silence.

"Not every day do you see a giant truck full of guys in tactical gear running in your house," Austin Kimbrough, who owns the home but was renting it out, said.

Kimbrough watched through his cameras as flash bangs lit up his home.

As agents went in and out of the front door and smashed through windows, members of the FBI hostage rescue team and FBI Houston's SWAT team were escorting people out of the house. According to the FBI, four suspects were arrested, and several potential victims were rescued.

FBI agents later interviewed Kimbrough.

"They said there were people inside that are now safe, so I don't know if they were kidnapped or being trafficked," Kimbrough said.

Agents also seized belongings from inside the home.

"They took out some guns and some cash and phones and stuff like that, but that was pretty much, nothing really out of the ordinary other than that it was maybe $12,000 worth of cash," he said.

Kimbrough said the home was a short-term rental, as five people had been renting it out since March 31. But, he knows there were more inside.

"Looking at the video, there were up to nine people total, and they were just coming and going in and out all hours of the night," he said. "Nothing I thought was suspicious until the FBI was here."

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