Rural communities are more suspicious of new and unusual activities.
WHich means that a smuggling ring would do well to manage or own a motel. Transients are not considered unusual there, and the immigrants can work at the motel for a few days before moving on
True to a point. They're referring in the article to at least two houses discovered here in Sierra Vista, specifically in Fry Township. That area is a county enclave within the city limits, and consists of mostly trailers, shacks, and older homes.
The neighbors tend to ignore each other; as long as they aren't being bothered by the neighbors' activities they aren't going to complain to anybody in authority.
Gotta run, busy day, but go ahead and take that into account when reading these stories.