Late Monday evening, a frantic caller informed San Antonio 911 operators that he and other illegal migrants were trapped in a tanker truck somewhere near the city. In a few short sentences, he tried to describe the conditions faced by approximately 80 migrants. A recording of the call clearly reveals people in the background gasping for air.
This was one of several calls received by San Antonio Police Department and the Bexar County Sheriff’s dispatch regarding the case earlier in the week. A local task force mobilized a search for the vehicle, described as a white tractor trailer towing a tanker. The calls were believed to have been placed somewhere just south of San Antonio on Interstate 35. The northbound Interstate 35 corridor leads from Laredo, Texas.
The frantic calls describe how oxygen is short and some people may have already died. The vehicle still has not been intercepted.
The outlook on this case is grim. Although the Border Patrol has undertaken numerous efforts to prevent this type of smuggling, it is still like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. Customs and Border Protection estimates more than 2 million commercial vehicles enter the United States through Laredo every year. In addition, the area draws in truckers from all over the country. It is not easy to build a profile.
Border Patrol makes every attempt to apprehend illegal immigrants at the time of crossing. Increased levels of illegal migration in the area often translate to more administrative processing and less patrol time. In addition to patrol duties, the agency participates in public outreach campaigns to increase awareness in tractor trailer smuggling. Operation Big Rig stresses “They’re humans, not cargo” to truckers who may be enticed by trafficking interests.
This method of human trafficking is not new to the Border Patrol. During one weekend in 1998, 417 migrants were found in three commercial tractor trailers in El Centro, California. As the Border Patrol’s criminal prosecutions supervisor at that time in 1998, I assisted the United States Attorney’s office with the prosecution of those cases and worked with media outlets to spread the same message decades ago. In one of those three trailers, 177 migrants were crammed and struggling to breathe at the time of discovery. Although the cases received national media attention, the practice continues.
It is normal to wonder why a migrant would allow himself to be in such a dangerous means of transit. However, those migrants do not have a choice in the logistics.
Compounding the efforts to thwart this type of smuggling is the need to address another part of the equation. Border Patrol is increasingly tasked with the processing and care for asylum-seeking migrants. The larger the asylum groups are that actually seek to surrender to Border Patrol means fewer agents are available to patrol for those hidden and often suffocating.
The San Antonio matter remains under investigation.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas Sector.
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