HOUSTON -- At 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Houston police officers thought they were responding to a burglary in progress. But once they arrived at the 6500 block of Marinwood, they found a bunch of people running from the driveway to inside the home.

"The officers were allowed inside the home by some males. Once inside they found weapons and several people being held captive," said Sgt. Brian Harris with Houston Police Homicide Division.

The officers quickly figured out the house was abandoned and found 16 people being held hostage along with two children hiding in a closet.

"The kids were traveling with an uncle. They said they hadn't had anything to eat or drink in three days," said Sgt. Harris.

Every window on the house is covered. The grass is over grown. And a back fence is knocked down.

Neighbors say the eye sore has been used for what they thought was a party house.

"I wondered what was going on because for three weeks there would be cars and traffic over there. Then nothing for another three to four weeks," said next door neighbor Terrance Porter.

Federal Agents took custody of the illegal immigrants and the so-called coyotes, which are people who transports immigrants across the border for a price.

Investigators traced their steps coming to Houston.

"We have been able to track their movement from Reynosa, Tampico. Making their cross at the boarder somewhere around Nuevo Laredo," Harris said.