SAN ANTONIO — All but six of the 53 people found dead or dying in a tractor-trailer in Texas last week have been identifiedofficials said Wednesday.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office said 22 of the dead were from Mexico, 19 were from Guatemala and six were from Honduras.
They were found in an abandoned trailer June 27 on a back road on the edge of San Antonio after what officials have called the deadliest smuggling incident in US history. The alleged driver of the truck was due in federal court Wednesday for a detention hearing.
The dead included a 13-year-old and 14-year-old from Guatemala and two 16-year-olds from Mexico, the medical examiner’s office said.
‘ALL ABOUT THE MONEY’:53 dead in San Antonio reveals harsh world of human smuggling
IDENTIFYING VICTIMS:53 migrants are dead in San Antonio. Identifying their remains won’t be easy.
One survivor of the journey, a 20-year-old from Guatemala, told The Associated Press that smugglers had covered the trailer’s floor with what she believes was powdered chicken bouillon, apparently to throw off any dogs at checkpoint.
The truck was carrying 73 people in all when it was found June 27. Federal prosecutors say four people have been arrested in connection with the discovery of the truck, including the driver.
Guatemala’s investigation into the smuggling networks is moving slowly, said Stuardo Campo, the prosecutor who is overseeing the case.
“So far we believe that there were four smuggling structures involved in this case,” Campo said. His office of him is working with counterparts in Mexico and the US Department of Homeland Security.
Guatemala’s Foreign Relations Ministry has said that the majority of the 22 victims from that country were from the San Marcos department that borders Mexico.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified 47 of the 53 victims who died as the following:
- Adela Betulia Ramirez Quezada, 27, of Honduras
- Alvaro Ojeda Salazar, 23, of Mexico
- Efrain Garcia Ferrel, 22, of Mexico
- Enrique Chavez, 37, of Guatemala
- Fernando Gallegas Garcia, 38, of Mexico
- Gustavo Santillan Santillan, 27, of Mexico
- J. Marcial Trejo Hernandez, 38, of Mexico
- Jair Valencia Olivares, 20, of Mexico
- Javier Flores-Lopez, 35, of Mexico
- Jesus Alvarez Ortega, 43, of Mexico
- Jose Guadalupe Narciso Muniz Lopez, 35, of Mexico
- Josue Diaz Gallardo, 34, of Mexico
- Juan Valeriano-Domitilo, 55, of Mexico
- Juan Wilmer Tulul Tepaz, 14, of Guatemala
- Maria Monterro-Serrato, 28, of Mexico
- Mariano Santiago Hipolito, 32, of Mexico
- Misael Olivares Monterde, 16, of Mexico
- Pablo Ortega Alvarez, 20, of Mexico
- Pascual Melvin Guachiac Sipac, 13, of Guatemala
- Yazmin Nayarith Bueso Nunez, 37, of Honduras
- Yeisan Efrain Jimenez, 20, of Guatemala
- Yovani Valencia Olivares, 16, of Mexico
PREVIOUS REPORTS:Death toll rises to 53 in suspected migrant-smuggling operation in San Antonio
Contributing: Sonia Pérez D., the Associated Press; Christine Fernando, USA TODAY
www.usatoday.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism