A suspected human smuggling operation near San Antonio led to the discovery of 26 migrants.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar discovered them inside a “shack” with bucket toilets, no air conditioning, and no running water on Thursday.
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“It’s miserable conditions in there, and it’s just blazing hot,” Salazar told reporters. “Fortunately, as a result, we were able to get these people before any of them passed.”
He said they carried eleven migrants with heat-related and minor injuries to the hospital.
After receiving information about a trailer-based smuggling activity, law enforcement authorities discovered the people. They pursued that trailer, where Salazar asserts migrants crammed into an illusory compartment for almost three hours prior to their discharge at the home.
Salazar acknowledged that one of the migrants is from Guatemala, but police have not confirmed the other detainees’ nationality.
“It’s possible that we have others from other countries, but just her—we know for a fact she paid $16,000 to be smuggled to this point,” he stated. “So, I mean, if you just have one person paying $16,000 and there are 26 smuggling victims, this is a big money operation,” he said.
Salazar also revealed the discovery of bulletproof vests and firearms, stating that the operation was “clearly cartel-related.” Seven people have been arrested.
“We do believe that it’s part of a larger operation that’s been in existence for some time,” Salazar stated.
President Biden announced new restrictions on asylum seekers entering the US just days ago.
Salazar said it’s unknown whether the people who were discovered crossed the border on Thursday or were already in a “stash house” in another area of Texas. He suspects they came from the Laredo area, near the United States-Mexico border.
He continued, “We don’t know if they smuggled across against their will.”
“This is the fault of the blood-thirsty organizations that are bringing these people across and putting them in harm’s way,” he stated.
