At least 51 migrants have now died after being trapped inside the back of an abandoned tractor trailer which was found on Monday, 27 June, as two Mexican nationals were charged in a US federal court, Reuters reported.
More than a dozen migrants were taken to local hospitals with heat-related injuries.
The deceased migrants, 39 men and 12 women, were discovered on Monday on the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas, in one of the deadliest human trafficking tragedies in recent history.
The two suspects, identified as Mexican citizens Juan Francisco D'Luna-Bilbao and Juan Claudio D'Luna-Mendez, have been charged with possessing firearms while residing in the United states illegally, Reuters reported.
A third suspect, a US citizen who drove the truck, was also taken into custody and was expected to be charged but remained hospitalised as of Tuesday evening, the report added, quoting Mexican officials.
The truck was parked and abandoned next to railroad tracks on San Anotnio's outskirts, where temperatures spiked to a high of 39.4 degrees Celsius.
‘Exploiting Vulnerable Individuals for Profit Is Shameful,’ Says Biden
United States President Joe Biden, in a statement, called the incident "horrifying and heartbreaking."
"Yesterday's loss of life in San Antonio is horrifying – my prayers are with those who lost their lives, their loved ones, and those still fighting for their lives," Biden said.
"Initial reports are that this tragedy was caused by smugglers or human traffickers who have no regard for the lives they endanger and exploit to make a profit," Biden's statement read.
"Exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit is shameful, as is political grandstanding around tragedy," the statement added, vowing to crackdown on criminal smuggling enterprises who have caused a record high number of migrant crossings at the US-Mexico border since Biden took office in January 2021.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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