Police say the perpetrator was likely involved in human smuggling.
QUICK FACTS:
- San Antonio, Texas area police reported the deaths of 46 migrants and hospitalizations of at least 16 more after dozens were found in a locked tractor-trailer.
- The truck was found on the southwest side of the city on a backroad near Interstate 35 and was reported to the authorities by someone who heard cries for help coming from inside.
- Police said they believe the driver might have been involved in human smuggling at the time of the incident.
- There were at least 60 individuals locked in the trailer, some of whom were minors, four of whom survived at least long enough to make it to the hospital. It’s not yet known if the minors were unaccompanied.
- Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations special agents have been called in. Border Patrol agents are also reported to be on the scene.
- Law enforcement sources told reporters that they have several persons of interest in custody.
ABBOTT BLAMES BIDEN FOR DEATHS, ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF TEXAS BOARD INITIATIVE:
- “At Least 42 People Found Dead Inside Truck Carrying Migrants In Texas,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a tweet about the incident. “These deaths are on Biden. They are a result of his deadly open border policies. They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law.”
- Just hours after the governor tweeted about the attack, he announced the use of the Texas National Guard’s Border River Mission, saying the purpose of the river boats is to “prevent, deter, and interdict” illegal immigration.
BACKGROUND:
- Local police found two migrants dead in a tractor-trailer loaded with 111 migrants earlier this month after La Salle County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call from a migrant being smuggled near Encinal, Texas, on Friday.
- The use of large trucks for smuggling individuals across the border became popular in the early 1990s, when border enforcement in San Diego and El Paso, Texas increased.
- Before that time the process of human smuggling was less-streamlined, and so-called “mom-and-pop” operators assisted many illegal immigrants in crossing the border.
