A trailer truck parked outside a reputed store in San Antonio, Texas, contained an unusual load of 38 humans, eight of them were dead. Subsequently, a ninth person died in the hospital. Police suspect that they are illegal immigrants and, on their physical condition, it appears that they were suffering from heat related problems like heat stroke or dehydration. They have been shifted to a nearby hospital in the city of San Antonio.

The driver of the truck has been arrested and would be charged, and investigations have started to establish if it is a possible Human Trafficking offense.

San Antonio is not far from the Mexican Border, and the US immigration department is trying to establish the status of the victims.

What is known?

BBC reports that Police Chief William McManus has revealed that the discovery was made after an employee of the store was approached by someone from the truck who requested for water. CCTV footage showed that a number of vehicles had arrived at the spot to remove the people from the scene and the finger of suspicion points to an organized racket in human trafficking.

At least two of the victims are reported to be children of school going age and, while some of them have been rescued, it is possible that much more could have escaped on foot into the nearby woods after crossing the Mexican border and entering the U.S.

There was no air-conditioning in the truck, neither was there any provision of water. The physical condition of the survivors, believed to be illegal immigrants was a matter of concern, and it was fortunate that some of them survived the ordeal. The authorities are making efforts to identify these people who had remained in the confines of the truck in temperatures of 100 plus degrees.

Human trafficking across Mexico border

This is an example of what people, desperate to enter the United States can do. They are suspected to be illegal immigrants who are in search of better living conditions in America. There is strict vigilance on the Mexican border with plans of erecting a wall to prevent entry of unauthorized persons.

Hence, such people become easy victims of human trafficking, as in the present case, and risk their lives to enter America.

The proposed border wall along Mexico is touted to be a massive project running into billions of dollars and is expected to put an end to the crossing over of illegal immigrants as well as those who deal in drugs. However, in spite of the wall, human traffickers could remain active, and the authorities need to concentrate on these aspects as well.