In addition to the arrests, HPD said several patrons were detained as they were trying to leave for DWI investigations.
HOUSTON — Several people were arrested when the Houston Police Department raided what they’re calling an after-hours club early Saturday morning.
The raid took place around 2:30 a.m. at a club on Little York called Underground Storage.
HPD said two bartenders were arrested for selling alcohol after hours, and three managers were arrested for allowing the sale of alcohol after hours. In addition to the arrests, HPD said several patrons were detained as they were trying to leave for DWI investigations.
Authorities said they seized several cases of alcohol, as well as narcotics.
“We found the cocaine, found lots of other cocaine,” said HPD Capt. Watson. “Locations like this are, sometimes they’re dealing from behind the counter, sometimes it’s customers coming in to sell to patrons. But that was seized as well.”
Watson called the building a “death trap.”
“It is not, does not have a certificate of occupancy, which means it has not been inspected for fire safety. There is no fire escape door on this building, and it was packed full of people when we went in,” he said. “Moreover, substandard electrical. Nothing in this place is up to code. It is a wonder nothing bad has happened thus far.”
The captain went on to say the Fire Marshal’s Office was “absolutely horrified at what they saw inside.”
HPD Assistant Chief James Skelton said they had received numerous complaints about the location. He said in one incident, a drunken patron leaving the club around 5:30 a.m. got into a crash with an HPD sergeant about a month ago.
“We are here tonight to make a stand for our community,” Skelton said. “The after-hours task force, along with citizens of Houston, are committed to addressing and eliminating these problems.”
Watch the update HPD gave at the scene: