In a Texas smuggling operation, 26 individuals were saved and seven suspects were detained, one of them with injuries, according to the sheriff.
The group of 26 individuals who were successfully rescued had been enduring terrible circumstances during their passage towards this location, announced Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar in a midday press conference on Thursday.
Despite not having any knowledge about when or where these people might've entered the US nor how long they've been there, officials speculate that the victims had been secreted away inside a truck trailer for at least three hours on that day before they were brought to a residence equipped with no air-conditioning, no running water, and it is believed that buckets were being used as makeshift toilets, the sheriff mentioned. Investigators also assume that the place had previously served as a venue for cockfighting, the sheriff revealed.
"The conditions inside there are unbearably unpleasant, and it's just scorching hot," Salazar told assembled reporters, standing outside the house. "Fortunately, we managed to reach these people before any of them succumbed."
The crew comprises an 18-year-old woman - who is believed to be the youngest in the group - and a Guatemalan woman who had paid close to $16,000 to reach this point, Salazar shared. Officials are still unaware of the countries of origin for the other members, the sheriff remarked.
Those transported to hospitals sustained heat-related and minimal medical injuries, Salazar informed the audience. San Antonio's temperatures, located in Bexar County, peaked at a minimum of 102 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday.
"We're still unsure if these individuals crossed the border earlier on that day or were already at a stash house in a different part of the state further south of the border," Salazar said. "We're also unaware if they were involuntarily smuggled in or not, we simply don't know for the time being.
"But, as mentioned before, this is the responsibility of the blood-hungry organizations who are bringing these people over the border and putting them in danger," he furthered.
Salazar's press conference took place two days after President Joe Biden unveiled a fresh plan that advisers migrants who cross the US-Mexico border illegally to not be eligible for asylum if the daily count reaches a certain number, unless they meet specific exemptions.
The initiative, which kicked off on Wednesday, faced criticism from progressives and others who have voiced concerns it is akin to steps undertaken by former President Donald Trump.
A Wednesday in Texas: What Happened Then
Bexar County authorities first learned of an apparent smuggling operation on Thursday morning. Officials discovered that the presumed smugglers were utilizing a "long gooseneck trailer" to transport this group. The officials thus initiated surveillance of the truck.
This large group of over two dozen people was discovered inside a "falsified compartment," exposed to the elements for a lengthy duration and without access to water, Salazar stated. Eventually, the vehicles with the victims arrived at the house where they were taken.
"That trailer ... you can stand adjacent to it and remain utterly unaware of the presence of 26 people hiding inside," Salazar said. "It passed thousands of cars without being detected."
The detained individuals were partaking in the human smuggling endeavor, and Salazar described them as "coyotes" - a term referring to human smugglers frequently used. There could be more arrests as the investigation continues, the sheriff said.
Investigators unearthed bulletproof vests and long firearms in a back room, he added, and indicated that Thursday's incident seems to be part of a long-lasting scheme "that's operated for some time."
Both local and federal agencies, as well as US Customs and Border Protection, are aiding this inquiry, he mentioned.
The sheriff also noted that when officers first stumbled upon the house where the group had been kept on Thursday, some of them attempted to escape, even though he believes everyone has been accounted for.
"There might be someone out there that fled amid all the fuss. We suggest residents to keep their doors locked, although we don't expect there's anyone still on the loose, it's a possibility," he advised.
Read also:
During the investigation, it was discovered that some of the individuals detained were likely involved in organizing the smuggling operation, acting as 'coyotes'. Upon reaching the United States, these 'coyotes' and the 26 saved individuals would likely need to find ways to navigate their new circumstances as a group.
