Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Mexico returns 8 bodies of migrants in Texas truck tragedy

A Mexican air force plane has landed at an airport near Mexico City bearing eight bodies of the 53 migrants who were found dead in a truck in Texas last month

Via AP news wire
Wednesday 13 July 2022 17:42 EDT
Migrant Deaths
Migrant Deaths (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A Mexican air force plane landed at an airport near Mexico City on Wednesday, bearing eight bodies of the 53 migrants who were found dead in a truck in Texas last month.

They were the first to be returned of the 26 Mexicans among those who died of heat and dehydration inside a locked truck trailer abandoned by smugglers on the outskirts of San Antonio on June 27. Temperatures that day approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

Arturo Rocha, Mexico’s coordinator for North American affairs, said the bodies were being taken by land to the victims’ hometowns for burial.

Rocha wrote in his Twitter account that another flight would go to San Antonio on Thursday to bring back eight more bodies.

Those who died in the truck included people from the states of Guanajuato, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Mexico, Zacatecas, Queretaro, Morelos and Mexico City.

Migrants from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador also were among those who died in the deadliest known smuggling attempt in the United States.

In 2017, 10 people died after being trapped inside a truck parked at a San Antonio Walmart. In 2003, the bodies of 19 migrants were found in a sweltering truck southeast of the city.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in