26 people were rescued, some with injuries, and 7 suspects were arrested in a Texas human smuggling operation, sheriff says

Officials in southern Texas say they have disrupted a human smuggling operations, helping rescue 26 people – 11 of whom are in the hospital – and taking 7 suspects into custody.

Officials in southern Texas say they have disrupted a human smuggling operation, helping rescue 26 people – 11 of whom are in the hospital – and taking 7 suspects into custody. The 26 people who were rescued endured “miserable conditions” throughout their journey into the area, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a Thursday afternoon news conference. Though authorities don’t know when or where the group may have crossed the border into the US and how long they have been in the country, officials believe the victims were transported inside a false truck compartment for at least three hours Thursday before they were taken to a house with no air-conditioning, no running water, and where authorities believe buckets were being used for toilets. Investigators also believe the residence was also the site of previous animal fighting, the sheriff said. “It’s miserable conditions in there and it’s just blazing hot,” Salazar told reporters, standing near the house. “Fortunately, we were able to get these people before any of them passed.” The group includes an 18-year-old woman – who authorities believe is the youngest among the victims – and a woman from Guatemala who paid roughly $16,000 to make it to that point, Salazar said. Officials don’t yet know the countries of origin of the rest of the group, the sheriff said. Those who were taken to the hospital endured heat-related and other minor medical injuries, the sheriff said. Temperatures in San Antonio, the Bexar County seat, reached up to at least 102 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday.