illegal immigrants are known to be smuggled into the United States aboard trailer trucks which ferry them across the borders. However, a new case of human smuggling was reported outside a Walmart in San Antonio, Texas. Police have recovered nine dead bodies of immigrants and send 30 more to hospitals after they were discovered trapped inside a tractor trailer.
Police recover dead bodies of immigrants inside a truck
Police have said that the incident was reported by an employee of the supermarket chain who was approached by a person from the truck for drinking water.
The authorities opened the trailer door to discover that many people including school going children were trapped inside. Eight people were already dead inside the truck, while one more person died after being taken to the hospital. All of those that passed away were men.
Initial reports suggest that the deaths occurred due to the intense heat and asphyxiation which was caused by the heavily crowded closed off trailer structure. 30 people were hospitalized out of which 20 remain in critical condition. Police have also revealed that among those recovered were two school-going children as well, although most of them were in their 20s and 30s.
The New York Times reported that the dead bodies have been taken to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office for further investigation into what exactly caused their deaths.
It is believed that the excessive temperature in Texas was perhaps one of the reasons behind the deaths. The region is known to experience sweltering temperatures of around 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. So, even with the air cooling turned on inside the trailer, the occupants would have suffered from intense heat in the closed off environment.
The driver has been identified and taken into custody. Prosecutors said that he will be charged for human trafficking. CCTV footage also showed that several vehicles had approached the truck to pick up members from inside, while some of the other immigrants had fled on foot toward the nearby woods. These people would be searched for and deported back to their countries once found.
Illegal immigrant cases becoming more common
Police revealed that this case shows how rampant the problem of such human trafficking is. These methods of entering the U.S. are not only illegal but also posed great dangers to the people themselves. Unsafe modes of transportations are used to ferry the people inside the country which causes deaths or serious sickness.
Previous cases have also enumerated the dangers involved in such trafficking and immigrating attempts. 19 immigrants died from heat exhaustion while being transported into the country inside a milk truck in May 2003. This incident had occurred just around 100 miles from the Walmart where the latest discovery was made.
