aimefisher
05-14-2003, 10:45 AM
VICTORIA, Texas (CNN) -- Eighteen suspected illegal immigrants died early Wednesday in Texas after being smuggled from Mexico in the back of a crowded 18-wheel truck, authorities said.
Thirteen bodies were found inside the trailer at a truck stop in Victoria and another four were found on the ground nearby, Victoria County Sheriff Michael Ratcliff said.
Another person died after arriving at Citizens Medical Center in full cardiac arrest, a hospital spokeswoman said.
As many as 70 people were in the back of the truck, and about 40 of them fled into the brush when they were discovered at a Speedy Stop truck stop early Wednesday morning, according to an official with the Department of Homeland Security.
The sheriff said his officers had captured at least 19 of those who fled.
Another 14 people were treated at hospitals.
Federal authorities, now leading the investigation, suspect the migrants were locked inside the truck. Investigators took the driver into custody, and transported him to Houston, where he is expected to appear in federal court.
Federal authorities had no immediate information on what charges may be filed, but one official stressed that under a 1996 law a defendant charged with migrant smuggling that results in a death could be subject to the death penalty.
The sheriff did not release the names and ages of the dead, but one of the victims was identified as an infant by an official with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"This shows just how unscrupulous these migrant smugglers are," said one angry federal official who asked not to be named. "They will pack as many of these people in a truck as they can, and lock them inside."
Ratcliff said that the people who were in the truck were not in any legal trouble at this time and that authorities wanted to make sure that they got medical attention.
"These individuals are crime victims in our state; they have undergone trauma," Ratcliff said. He said the Mexican consulate had been notified and was sending representatives.
Survivors began arriving at two hospitals shortly after 2 a.m. (3 a.m. ET)
Three women and six men, ages 15 to 29, were taken to Citizens Medical Center suffering from heat exhaustion and suffocation injuries, according to hospital spokeswoman Melissa Purl. Seven remain hospitalized, one in intensive care. Another person was treated and released to authorities, Purl said.
"They were in there at least a day and a half," Purl told CNN. "They all have stories to tell and they're very thankful to be alive."
Six victims -- all male, ages 20 to 47 -- were taken to Detar Hospital Navarro. Two were in the intensive care unit while four were in stable condition and were likely to be released later in the day, a spokesman said.
www.cnn.com
Thirteen bodies were found inside the trailer at a truck stop in Victoria and another four were found on the ground nearby, Victoria County Sheriff Michael Ratcliff said.
Another person died after arriving at Citizens Medical Center in full cardiac arrest, a hospital spokeswoman said.
As many as 70 people were in the back of the truck, and about 40 of them fled into the brush when they were discovered at a Speedy Stop truck stop early Wednesday morning, according to an official with the Department of Homeland Security.
The sheriff said his officers had captured at least 19 of those who fled.
Another 14 people were treated at hospitals.
Federal authorities, now leading the investigation, suspect the migrants were locked inside the truck. Investigators took the driver into custody, and transported him to Houston, where he is expected to appear in federal court.
Federal authorities had no immediate information on what charges may be filed, but one official stressed that under a 1996 law a defendant charged with migrant smuggling that results in a death could be subject to the death penalty.
The sheriff did not release the names and ages of the dead, but one of the victims was identified as an infant by an official with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"This shows just how unscrupulous these migrant smugglers are," said one angry federal official who asked not to be named. "They will pack as many of these people in a truck as they can, and lock them inside."
Ratcliff said that the people who were in the truck were not in any legal trouble at this time and that authorities wanted to make sure that they got medical attention.
"These individuals are crime victims in our state; they have undergone trauma," Ratcliff said. He said the Mexican consulate had been notified and was sending representatives.
Survivors began arriving at two hospitals shortly after 2 a.m. (3 a.m. ET)
Three women and six men, ages 15 to 29, were taken to Citizens Medical Center suffering from heat exhaustion and suffocation injuries, according to hospital spokeswoman Melissa Purl. Seven remain hospitalized, one in intensive care. Another person was treated and released to authorities, Purl said.
"They were in there at least a day and a half," Purl told CNN. "They all have stories to tell and they're very thankful to be alive."
Six victims -- all male, ages 20 to 47 -- were taken to Detar Hospital Navarro. Two were in the intensive care unit while four were in stable condition and were likely to be released later in the day, a spokesman said.
www.cnn.com