Fernando José Redondo Caballero and Alejandro Miguel Andino Caballero were as excited about their voyage to the United States as they had been when they were kids looking forward to a celebration.
Instead, the two Honduran brothers met their deaths, according to NBC News. They were among the 53 migrants who died after having been inside a sweltering tractor-trailer rig abandoned in San Antonio, Texas, on Monday, June 27.
Their mother, Karen Caballero, spoke to Telemundo News, telling the media outlet that her sons had been eager to go north to the United States to find work. An emotional Caballero said that her sons were so excited to make the trip, with the boys asking her every day when they would go. She added that it was as if they were going to a birthday, like when they were little kids.
Honduran government confirms brothers' deaths
Their search for better lives ended on a tragic note, with the Honduran government confirming the siblings were among the deceased. The two brothers were discovered inside the tractor-trailer rig on a torrid afternoon when an employee at a nearby building heard pleas for help coming from the truck.
According to Caballero, her son Alejandro was the most eager about the prospect of working in the U.S. as he wanted to fulfill a dream of buying a home for her. Caballero told Noticias Telemundo in an interview that it was funny because they said they would buy her a home when they got to the U.S. She replied that she wouldn't need a home because they won't be there anymore.
She still gave them her blessings to look for better pastures far from her. Mimicking a mom's instructive tone, she told her sons to focus and hope that they triumph in their journey. Caballero then recalled all the hugs, kisses, and touching after that exchange, not knowing that would be one of their last communication with each other.
Reuters reported that the brothers left their town in the northwest part of Honduras on June 4, along with Andino's wife, Margie Tamara Paz. The Honduran government said that the identification documents belonging to the three of them were found among the bodies in the abandoned truck.
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Four people arrested
Their mom said that the brothers were 19 and 22 years old. According to Caballero, Andino had nearly completed a degree in marketing, while the 24-year-old Paz held an economics degree but could not find work in their country.
According to CNN, four people have been arrested and charged in connection with the migrant deaths. One Homeland Security Investigations agent called what happened in San Antonio the deadliest human smuggling incident in U.S history.
Among those arrested were Homero Zamorano Jr., Christian Martinez, Juan Claudio D'Luna-Mendez and Juan Francisco D'Luna-Bilbao. Both Zamorano and Martinez, if convicted, could face the death penalty or could face up to life in prison.
