Southern Texas Officials Disrupt Human Smuggling Operation, Rescue 26 Victims

EMS and fire personnel are seen on the scene on June 6.

Officials in southern Texas have disrupted a human smuggling operation, rescuing 26 individuals and taking seven suspects into custody. Eleven of the rescued victims are currently hospitalized.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar detailed the harrowing conditions the victims endured during their journey. The group, transported in a false truck compartment for at least three hours, was later found in a house lacking air-conditioning and running water, where buckets were being used as toilets. Authorities believe the residence had previously been used for animal fighting.

"It's miserable conditions in there and it's just blazing hot," Sheriff Salazar said during a Thursday afternoon news conference. "Fortunately, we were able to get these people before any of them passed."

The group includes an 18-year-old woman and a Guatemalan woman who paid approximately $16,000 to reach this point. The origins of the other victims are still unknown. Those hospitalized suffered from heat-related and minor medical injuries, with San Antonio temperatures reaching at least 102 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday.

Authorities received a tip-off about the smuggling operation Thursday morning and began surveilling a "long gooseneck trailer" used to transport the victims. The victims were found lying on a hard mesh inside a large false compartment, exposed to the elements and without access to water for several hours.

“That trailer … you can be standing right there next to it and not know that that thing contains 26 people,” Salazar said. “So it drove by thousands of cars, easily.”

the scene near the sheriff's news conference.

The suspects, referred to as "coyotes," were involved in the human smuggling operation. Authorities also found bulletproof vests and long rifles in a nearby residence, suggesting a larger, longstanding operation. Local and federal agencies, including US Customs and Border Protection, are assisting in the investigation.

The sheriff emphasized the cruelty of the organizations behind such operations, stating, "This is the fault of the blood-thirsty organizations that are bringing these people across and putting them in harm’s way."

Salazar's news conference follows President Joe Biden's recent executive action limiting asylum seekers who cross the US-Mexico border illegally. This measure, which took effect Wednesday, has faced criticism for its similarity to policies from former President Donald Trump's administration.

As the investigation continues, Salazar warned residents to stay vigilant, noting that some individuals initially fled when authorities arrived. "We would tell area residents, keep your doors locked ... if you see any suspicious activities, any suspicious persons, give us a call," he said.