Seven Accused of Trafficking Migrants in Overheated Concealed Space with Scarce Water Supply

**Seven Charged in Texas Migrant Smuggling Operation**

In a distressing development from southern Texas, seven individuals have been charged with endangering the lives of nearly two dozen migrants. These migrants were discovered in a concealed trailer compartment amidst sweltering temperatures, with minimal access to water. The incident unfolded near San Antonio, where one of the migrants remains hospitalized due to severe dehydration and cardiac issues.

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, acting on a tip-off about a smuggling operation, located 26 migrants in what Sheriff Javier Salazar described as a “shack” with deplorable living conditions, including holes in the floor and a lack of water. The migrants, hailing from Mexico, Honduras, Venezuela, and Guatemala, were found Thursday morning in a residence that Salazar likened to a stash house for human smuggling.

These individuals, aged between 18 and 54, including six women, had endured three hours in the trailer’s hidden compartment. With temperatures in San Antonio soaring into the high 90s and expected to exceed 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, the conditions they faced were nothing short of perilous.

The seven men arrested, whose ages range from 21 to 45, are now facing state felony charges. These charges include human smuggling, engaging in organized criminal activity, operating a stash house, and evading arrest. Twelve of the migrants were initially hospitalized with minor and heat-related injuries. However, by Friday, only one remained in the hospital.

This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers associated with human smuggling. San Antonio was the scene of the nation’s deadliest human smuggling tragedy in June 2022, when 53 migrants died in a similar situation. They were found in a semi-trailer with a malfunctioning air-conditioning unit, a grim echo of the perils faced by those seeking a better life.

Authorities continue to investigate the smuggling operation, emphasizing the critical need to combat and prevent such inhumane activities. The community and law enforcement are called once again to reflect on the risks and tragedies that stem from these desperate journeys.