Law enforcement officials in Texas have uncovered a human smuggling operation near San Antonio, rescuing more than two dozen people from dangerous conditions on Thursday. The 26 illegal immigrants, with the youngest believed to be 18 years old, were found hidden inside a false compartment of a long gooseneck trailer for three hours before being taken to a rural shack. Temperatures soared into the high 90s during the mid-afternoon hours.
“It’s miserable conditions in there and just blazing hot. Fortunately, we were able to get these people before they passed,” Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters on Thursday.
Authorities started surveilling the trailer after receiving a tip about a suspected human smuggling operation earlier that morning. The trailer passed by thousands of cars, undetected with 26 people inside.
The trailer eventually arrived at a rural residence outside San Antonio, resembling a wooden shack without air conditioning or running water. Weapons and bulletproof vests were found in the structure, indicating a larger cartel-related operation. Some individuals fled upon the authorities’ arrival, but all were eventually accounted for.
Seven people were taken into custody, with more arrests expected as investigations continue. Eleven of the illegal immigrants were hospitalized for heat-related illnesses, but all are now stable.
It is unclear if all the individuals paid the smugglers to enter the U.S. or if some were held against their will. One woman from Guatemala paid $16,000 to be transported across the border. Local and federal authorities, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are investigating the incident.
A similar but deadly human smuggling operation occurred in San Antonio in June 2022, resulting in the deaths of 53 illegal immigrants, including children, found inside a semi-trailer.
Executive Action
President Joe Biden recently signed an executive order regarding illegal immigration to prevent migrants crossing the southern border illegally from receiving asylum. This action aims to expedite the removal of individuals without legal basis to stay in the U.S. The measures are temporary and will be lifted when border crossings are managed safely.
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