Texas Truck Tragedy: DHS Alejandro Mayorkas Seems to Place Blame on 53 Migrants for Making the 'Dangerous Journey' to U.S.

Department of Homeland and Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday appeared to blame the migrants after at least 53 of them died in the recent Texas truck tragedy.

Speaking to CBS' "Face The Nation," Mayorkas underscored that the Texas truck tragedy was a result of what could happen if migrants will continue to take the "dangerous journey" to the United States, per Fox News.

"We have said repeatedly and we continue to warn people not to take the dangerous journey," Mayorkas underscored.

The DHS secretary also highlighted that the "false information" the migrants receive from human smugglers is also a factor why migrants keep putting their lives in danger.

The DHS secretary went on to say that the criminal organization that takes migrants to the U.S. does not care for the migrants' lives and only focuses on profits.

Texas Truck Tragedy: Semi-Truck Driver Claims to Be Unaware of Air Conditioner Not Working

A day before Mayorkas made his statement in the CBS interview, a court document revealed that the suspected driver of the truck claimed that he did not know that the air conditioner in the vehicle had stopped working. The driver mentioned in the court document was identified as 45-year-old Homero Zamorano, who was found hiding near the truck.

Zamorano was reportedly a conspirator of Christian Martinez, who is also charged with the death of the 53 migrants. Both of them were accused of exchanging text messages before and after the truck was found. Federal court documents revealed that Martinez and Zamorano had spoken after the deaths were reported.

According to reports, both suspects will face the death penalty if found guilty of smuggling and conspiracy charges.

Two other suspects, identified as Juan Claudio D'Luna- Mendez and Francisco D'Luna-Bilbao, were accused of being involved in the smuggling incident. Both Mexicans were charged with firearms possession and with being in the U.S. illegally.

Texas Truck Tragedy Kills 53 Migrants

The semi-truck tragedy in San Antonio, Texas occurred on June 28, with initial reports claiming at least 67 migrants onboard. Meanwhile, prosecutors in San Antonio placed the total number of migrants inside the truck at 64, per BBC.

To date, the death toll of the tragedy remains at 53, including 27 Mexicans, 14 Hondurans, seven Guatemalans, and two Salvadorans.

On Sunday, Mayorkas was asked how the semi-truck was able to reach Texas. The DHS secretary highlighted the evolving tactics of smugglers in bringing migrants into the U.S.

Mayorkas noted that smugglers have become more sophisticated, and they are "extraordinarily organized" than before.

Mayorkas then highlighted that the U.S. has indicted more drugs at the port of entry and rescued more migrants "than ever before."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

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