LA FERIA – A La Feria man is fed up with what he claims to be illegal activity in his neighborhood. He wants law enforcement to step in and investigate.

Martin Serrata has called La Feria home for 20 years. He said the noise and activity on his street at night has never been so bad.

“At nighttime, that’s when they start working, 6 o’clock, 7 o’clock, they start rolling in,” he said about the late night footsteps and doors shutting.

Serrata said the area wasn’t what it used to be. He said the recent suspicious activity prompted him to protect his family and belongings.

“Been on the road for just a month to get a down payment, to get all what we got now and now it’s all going to hell,” Serrata said.

He claimed many illegal travelers pass through his neighborhood. He said law enforcement shows up after he calls but not until days later.

Serrata said that’s an issue if law enforcement intends on catching the criminal activity.

“They’ll bring them in today, they’ll go out tonight,” he said.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS reached out to Border Patrol Agent Isaac Villegas about Serrata’s concerns.

“Continue to report what you see and understand just because you don’t see us, doesn’t mean we’re not there. We do have investigative units that do what they do and do it well,” he explained.

Villegas said any tips, evidence and information people can provide when reporting illegal activity is welcome.

“If you report it, and you see it again, continue to report it to your local agency, and make sure you give us all the proper information, or as much information as you can gather. Again, don’t put yourself in any type of danger. We want to make sure the public knows that, but we highly encourage them to get involved by reporting it,” he said.

Serrata said he’ll continue making phone calls but hopes the nightly routine of activity stops.

There are indicators people can look for if people suspect that there is a stash house operating in their neighborhood, according to San Juan Police Department.

They include:

• Different types of vehicles, especially vans of pickups, entering and exiting the garage at different hours of the day or night.
• Vehicles arriving often differing in license plates.
• No activity at the house for several days or weeks, then a spike in activity.

Border Patrol advises people to contact their local police department or reach out to 1-800-863-9382.