4 hours ago
image source,Getty Images
A cry for help was initially heard before the abandoned truck was found on the back road
The alleged driver of a truck that was found in Texas where dozens of migrants died tragically was arrested has been charged with smuggling and causing the death of migrants. Truck driver Homero Zamorano Jr. was arrested by police after he pretended to be an immigrant and was found hiding in the bushes.
So far, 53 people have died in the smuggling massacre. Stowaways were kept in container trucks in hot weather, and many died of heat exhaustion, heatstroke and dehydration. It was the deadliest human smuggling incident in U.S. history.
Mexican immigration officials said Zamorano, the driver involved in the massacre, was from Texas and was “trying to pass as a survivor” when he was found by police.
A second suspect, Christian Martinez, was arrested and charged with conspiracy. Federal prosecutors said investigators had been in contact when they checked the truck driver Zamorano’s phone.
The U.S. Justice Department announced that if the two men were convicted, they could face a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty. Two other suspects, related to the truck’s registered address, were also arrested for firearms offences.
Rescuers found the abandoned truck Monday night on a remote suburban road in San Antonio, Texas, with 46 bodies inside. The truck door is open. There was no one else in the car.
image source,Getty Images
On Wednesday (June 29), local residents gathered at the scene of the accident to mourn the deceased.At the scene of the massacre, many people put bottled water there
The truck was discovered after a nearby worker heard a cry for help. When emergency personnel arrived, no one inside was conscious. According to local radio, only a dozen people in the car were still breathing.
About 250 kilometers from the U.S.-Mexico border, San Antonio is a major route for people smuggling. After illegal immigrants enter the U.S., traffickers often meet illegal immigrants in remote areas and transport them in trucks.
The death toll then rose to 53, with several dying after being taken to hospital. On Wednesday (June 29), local residents gathered at the scene of the accident to mourn the deceased.
A local resident named Veronica Vazquez told reporters, “It’s heartbreaking because I have a family and they have had the same experience.”
Roberto Alvarez, another local, also entered the United States without legal documents. Put yourself in the shoes of these people, Alvarez said, because he has had the same experience.
At the scene of the massacre, many people put bottled water there. Police earlier said there was no water or air conditioning in the enclosed truck. Summer in San Antonio is hot, with temperatures reaching 39.4 degrees Celsius on Monday.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said that those who died “had families of their own…just maybe looking for a better life” and that “this is a terrible human tragedy. “.
San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said emergency crews arrived at the scene around 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT) and “we didn’t expect to open a truck and see piles of bodies inside. … we never thought it would happen.”
smuggling to escape poverty
image source,Archyde.com
Some local Latino community members gathered at the scene of the incident to wait
The Mexican government said 27 of the victims were confirmed to be from Mexico. The other 14 killed were from Honduras, seven were from Guatemala and two were from El Salvador.
Among the dead were a pair of Guatemalan boys, aged 13 and 14. Guatemalan officials say the boys are cousins who left their impoverished homeland two weeks ago.
Mexican immigration officials say smugglers often cross the border in groups and meet at an undisclosed location after entering the United States. The smugglers are there to load them into trucks and take them to the next location.
“Poverty and desperation” have left at least 50 migrants abandoned on trucks in Texas, Mexico’s president said after the tragedy. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also blamed human trafficking on the US-Mexico border as “out of control.”
image source,Archyde.com
Families of Texas smuggling victims hold photos of their relatives in condolences
BBC’s Angelica Casas reported from San Antonio that similar smuggling tragedies had occurred in San Antonio before, but this was the worst.
In 2017, 10 migrants were found dead in a similar tractor trailer outside a Walmart, also on the city’s south side.
At the southernmost end of San Antonio is a corridor with two major highways connecting the city with the Texas border towns.
This area of San Antonio is surrounded by large tracts of countryside, some garbage dumps and a few developing communities, so the trucks are parked there and are not easy to spot.