Dozens of migrants were found dead on Monday, June 27, in an abandoned big rig in San Antonio, Texas, in what appears to be the deadliest human smuggling case in modern United States history, according to CBS News.
Bexar County officials told reporters at a news conference that the tragedy's death toll had risen to 51 on Tuesday afternoon, and some of the deceased migrants could be teens who never reached adulthood.
Officials said most victims were found dead inside the tractor-trailer in the sweltering Texas heat. The unfortunate demise of three patients treated at Baptist Medical Center contributed to the number of deceased on Tuesday, June 28. According to hospital spokesperson Patti Tanner, two survivors remained in critical condition.
Death toll rising in human smuggling tragedy
San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said that 16 people, including four children, were initially hospitalized. He added none of those kids had died. Bexar County officials said those who died were 39 males and 12 females.
Tom Peine, the assistant public information officer for the county manager's office, said it was possible that some of the victims had not reached adulthood. He added that potentially some of them are under 18, in the teenage range but not younger than that.
According to officials, the regional medical examiner would likely be able to identify 34 of the dead migrant victims at this point in the investigation. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Tuesday morning that 22 of the dead were Mexican nationals, while seven came from Guatemala and two were from Honduras. The nationalities of the remaining 20 dead migrants had yet to be confirmed.
López Obrador said the Mexican government would be providing financial assistance to the family members of the dead. San Antonio Police Chief William P. McManus said in the press conference that three people were taken into custody following the discovery of the migrants in the big rig. He did not expand on their identities, with authorities still investigating if they were connected to the incident, according to News 4 San Antonio.
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Truck with bodies found in an undeveloped area of San Antonio
The grim discovery was made early Monday evening near railroad tracks in an undeveloped area of southwest San Antonio. According to officials, a person who works in the area heard a cry for help and spotted at least one body.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that Homeland Security Investigations responded to the incident on Quintana Road near Cassin Road following a call from the San Antonio Police Department. They then found more than 40 deceased individuals at the scene.
The police chief said the survivors lacked water and air conditioning inside the truck. McManus said the patients that they saw were hot to the touch. NBC News reported that they were suffering from heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
