Nearly fifty migrants were found dead in a semi-truck in San Antonio, Texas in what authorities believe to be the deadliest human smuggling case in recent years along the southern border.
Officials reported the bodies of 46 individuals from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras were found. According to San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood, sixteen others, including four children, were hospitalized with heat-related injuries sustained from the scorching Texas heat.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the area reached 101 on Monday. Heat-related deaths are certified when bodies with temperatures of 105 or greater at the time of collapse occur, according to a committee of the National Association of Medical Examiners.
Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday morning that the death toll increased to 50. Of those deaths, 22 were Mexican nationals, seven were Guatemala nationals, two were Honduras nationals, and 19 others are yet to be identified.
“I want to express my deepest condolences to the families of Mexican, Guatemalan, and Honduran migrants who died yesterday asphyxiated in a trailer; a tremendous misfortune. (…) We are going to be attentive to support the relatives of the victims, the transfer of the bodies, and, of course, carry out the investigation in what corresponds to us,” Obrador said.
San Antonio Police Chief William P. McManus said at a news conference that the discovery was made early Monday evening when a person reported hearing a cry for help.
Homeland Security Investigations responded to the incident on Quintana Road near Cassin Road following a call from the San Antonio Police Department and found more than 40 deceased individuals at the scene, U.S. Immigration, and Customs Enforcement said Tuesday in a statement.
"I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of life today and am praying for those still fighting for their lives," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on social media. "Far too many lives have been lost as individuals — including families, women, and children — take this dangerous journey."
