Bexar County Sheriff’s deputies arrested seven individuals involved in a migrant smuggling operation, resulting in 11 migrants being hospitalized in San Antonio. The migrants were found in a concealed compartment of a goose-neck trailer outside a stash house in south San Antonio after deputies acted on a tip.
Sheriff Javier Salinas reported that 11 migrants were treated for heat exhaustion and are expected to survive. A total of 26 migrants were rescued from the trailer near Loop 1604 and Oak Island Drive. As deputies arrived, several suspects fled but were quickly apprehended. Seven suspects now face charges related to human smuggling, and the case is under investigation by local authorities and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
During a press conference, Salinas revealed that the migrants endured over three hours in the trailer with temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, minimal ventilation, and no water. One Guatemalan migrant reportedly paid $16,000 to be smuggled from the border to San Antonio.
Deputies also discovered rifles and bulletproof vests in the stash house, adding potential weapons charges to the suspects. Salinas highlighted the increasing danger of human smuggling in the I-35 corridor as summer temperatures rise. He referenced a tragic 2022 incident in south Bexar County where 53 migrants died in a locked trailer.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, 42 migrants were found dead at the scene, with eleven more dying in hospitals. Two men were arrested in connection with that case.