Four dead and three injured after alleged migrant smuggler crashed into truck in Texas
Texas law enforcement began chasing the vehicle, which then crashed into a truck while trying to evade capture
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Four people were killed and three others are in critical condition following a car crash that involved an individual allegedly smuggling migrants in Texas.
Texas law enforcement authorities were reportedly chasing a vehicle they suspected was carrying migrants. The vehicle attempted to evade law enforcement and ran into a semi-truck.
“The driver suspected of human smuggling evaded law enforcement and crashed into a commercial vehicle,” the Texas DPS tweeted.
The vehicle the alleged human smuggler was driving appears to be a white Jeep.
The crash comes only three days after 53 migrants were found dead inside a trailer in San Antonio.
On Monday, an employee at a business in San Antonio heard cries for help coming from inside a semi-truck trailer. That individual alerted the police, who found the migrants inside.
Homeland Security Investigations called the incident the deadliest human smuggling incident in US history.
Since that discovery, four people have been arrested and charged in connection with the deaths.
Homero Zamorano Jr, 45, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with human smuggling resulting in death, according to the US Department of Justice.
Mr Zamorano reportedly has a long criminal record dating back to the 1990's.
Christian Martinez, 28, was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants resulting in death.
Both men could face up to life in prison or the death penalty if they're convicted.
Two other men, Juan Claudio D'Luna-Mendez and Juan Francisco D'Luna-Bilbao were also charged with "possession of a weapon by an alien illegally in the United States," CNN reports.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has made curbing undocumented immigration into Texas a staple of his administration, took the opportunity to blame Joe Biden's border policies for the deaths.
"These deaths are on Biden. They are a result of his deadly open border policies. They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law,” Mr Abbott tweeted on Monday.
Users on social media quickly pointed out that if the US had open borders migrants wouldn't be trying to smuggle themselves into the US in the back of semi-trucks. Nor would they feel the need to run from Texas law enforcement and potentially cause fatal crashes.
Mr Biden shot back at Mr Abbott and other Republicans sharing his sentiment, calling the governor's statements "political grandstanding."
“Exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit is shameful, as is political grandstanding around tragedy, and my Administration will continue to do everything possible to stop human smugglers and traffickers from taking advantage of people who are seeking to enter the United States between ports of entry,” the president said.