Mexico joins investigation into deaths of migrants in Texas :: WRAL.com

Well, the mayor of San Antonio calls what happened here a quote horrific human tragedy. This after at least 50 people lost their lives, according to us law enforcement official after being trapped in the back of a semi truck. According to San Antonio law enforcement officials, someone who was working in that area where the truck was found Heard cries for help. Shortly thereafter, first responders arrived to the scene, opened up the back doors of that truck and were met with a scene of just horror. At least 48 people were already dead inside that truck, dozens literally dozens of people inside that truck were dead. That’s what first responders saw. More than a dozen other people were transported to nearby hospitals. two of those people, at least two of those people died after being transported to local hospitals. According to that US law enforcement official, people inside that truck were migrants, people from Mexico, people from Honduras and people from Guatemala with the foreign ministers of both Mexico and Guatemala, confirming that people from their countries were among those who had lost their lives. Here’s a little bit of what Mexico’s president had to say about what happened were in support our console has been there since yesterday. There are also immigration officials from Mexico and we will be attentive to support the families of the victims. The transfer of the bodies and of course carry out the investigation and what corresponds to us because these unfortunate events that of course have to do with the situation of poverty of despair of Central American brothers of Mexicans happened because there is also a human trafficking and lack of controls in this case on the border of Mexico or the United States and in the United States. And he mentioned human trafficking. They’re mexican government officials including the Foreign minister believe and have said publicly that they believe that human traffickers were involved in this incident. We know that us law enforcement agencies and conjunction with Mexican law enforcement agencies will be working together on an investigation into exactly what happened here. But the idea that human smugglers were involved in this in this part of the world, it’s not that unusual. We’ve reported on this subject for years now there are well established routes where migrants are passed from one criminal group to another all the way from South America, sometimes all the way to the U. S. Border. These are criminal groups working across international boundaries, often treating the migrants where they are transporting up to the United States with little regard for their safety, little regard for their lives. Now this comes as the United States recently announced what they’re calling an unprecedented action against human trafficking throughout the Western hemisphere with the Department of Homeland Security secretaries telling CNN that hundreds of law enforcement officials from the U. S. Have been spread out across latin America to try and disrupt those routes where migrants are often transported by these human smugglers. This latest incident in san Antonio a clear example of just how dangerous that can be for these migrants. Matt rivers, CNN Mexico City.