At Least 46 Migrants Found Dead Inside Abandoned Truck Near San Antonio

Topline

At least 46 people believed to be migrants were found dead inside and near an abandoned tractor-trailer near San Antonio, Texas, on Monday, a tragedy that appears to be linked to efforts to smuggle people across the border from Mexico.

Key Facts

According to the Associated Press, 16 other people—including four children—were found alive at the scene and are now being treated for heat stroke, exhaustion and dehydration.

The trailer was first discovered by a person working in a nearby building on Monday evening after they responded to a cry for help and found the trailer’s doors partially open and the deceased people inside it, San Antonio police chief William McManus told the press.

Although the vehicle in question was a refrigerated tractor-trailer, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said it had no working air conditioner and no signs of water.

The state of Texas is currently in the middle of a heat wave and temperatures in San Antonio touched a high of 103 degrees fahrenheit on Monday.

McManus told the press the police have three suspects in custody but aren’t certain if they are absolutely connected to the case—it is also unclear if the driver who abandoned the trailer is believed to be among the three suspects.

The investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security is now probing the tragedy, the police chief added.

Crucial Quote

“Migrants seeking asylum should always be treated as a humanitarian crisis, but this evening we’re facing a horrific human tragedy. More than 40 hopeful lives were lost. I urge you to think compassionately, pray for the deceased, the ailing, and their families at this moment.” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg tweeted.

Chief Critic

Texas Governor Greg Abbott blamed the Biden administration for the tragedy, tweeting: “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.” Abbott has repeatedly accused the White House of “opening the border” as it has attempted to end a Trump-era pandemic policy that allowed border officials to swiftly expel immigrants and asylum seekers arriving at the southern border.

Key Background

Monday’s incident is one of the worst tragedies in the U.S. linked to the smuggling of migrants across the southern border. In 2017, ten migrants were found dead from heat strokes inside a tractor-trailer that was parked at a Walmart in San Antonio. The driver of that truck, James Bradley Jr., was immediately arrested and eventually sentenced to life in prison for illegally smuggling undocumented immigrants into the country. In 2003, 19 migrants lost their lives under similar circumstances after being trapped inside a trailer that was abandoned near Victoria, Texas. Last year, 53 migrants were killed and 54 others were injured after a truck carrying them crashed and rolled over in Mexico. The migrants who were from Central America were believed to be heading toward the U.S. border.

Further Reading

46 dead after trailer carrying migrants found in San Antonio (Associated Press)

At Least 46 Migrants Found Dead in San Antonio (New York Times)