Texas tragedy 8 dead among dozens found inside hot truck in suspected smuggling case

A truck was found to contain dozens of suspected illegal immigrants in San Antonio. Eight of the people inside the sweltering truck had died, according to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus and Fire Chief Charles Hood. (San Antonio Police Department) Outside a Walmart in San Antonio on Saturday night, authorities said, they discovered a sweltering tractor-trailer with dozens of people inside — eight of them dead and many more expected to have brain damage from the heat. “They discovered an alien smuggling venture gone horribly wrong. Eight immigrants were found dead,” Richard L. Durbin Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, wrote in a statement released by federal immigration authorities on Sunday morning. “All were victims of ruthless human smugglers indifferent to the well-being of their fragile cargo.” Police Chief William McManus did not go quite so far when he spoke to reporters gathered before dawn. But he said his homicide detective would work with federal immigration authorities to determine “the origin of this horrific tragedy.”