Texas: 26 Migrants Rescued, 7 Smugglers Arrested as Bexar Country Sheriff Busts Massive Migrant Smuggling Operation

A massive migrant smuggling operation was busted in Texas, with Bexar County officials rescuing 26 migrants from horrid conditions inside a "stifling hot" wooden structure that did not have any air conditioning, and migrants were forced to use buckets as makeshift toilets.

The migrants are now being treated as human-smuggling victims as their smugglers left them inside a structure in the middle of near-triple digit temperature located in the area of Loop 1604 and Oak Island Drive.

The migrants inside the structure were later transported to local hospitals to be treated for heat-related ailments, according to local CBS affiliate, KENS-5, with 25 of the 26 migrants already released. Only one migrant remains hospitalized.

"It's under control, but it was a pretty chaotic situation," Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters. "Everybody is out of the woods as far as losing their life."

Several agencies are already involved, including the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, one of the migrants, a woman from Guatemala told KENS-5 that she paid $16,000 to be smuggled into the United States.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office became aware of the migrant shack when a long gooseneck truck usually used to smuggle migrants was spotted in the area. The migrants were hidden in a "false compartment" inside the truck so they would not be detected by inspectors when the truck crosses the border legally.

"That trailer, you can be stranding right up on it, and not know that thing contains 26 people, said Sheriff Salazar. "It drove by thousands of cars, easily, on that three-hour trip from the border."

Texas Sheriffs Arrest 7 Smugglers Responsible for Transporting Migrants

As for those smugglers, seven of them were arrested by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office soon after the migrants were rescued, according to the San Antonio Current. However, there are still doubts whether some of the migrants were actually smugglers in disguise.

"It's quite common for coyotes to pass themselves off as victims, so o, in other words they'll blend in with the crowd of victims, Salazar explained. "And only until we start drawing information out of them is when we're able to determine this is not a victim, this is a bad guy."

The smugglers held the migrants without any food and water, though every one of the 26 people rescued is expected to survive the ordeal.

Only One of the 26 Migrants Smuggled Into Texas Identified So Far

Despite the migrants being rescued and their smugglers arrested, authorities have only managed to identify one of the migrants, and she was the one from Guatemala who told authorities that paid $16,000 to be smuggled to the US.

"It's possible that we have others from other countries, but just her, we know for a fact she paid $16,000 to be smuggled to this point," the sheriff told reporters. "So, I mean, if you just got one of these people paying 16 grand and there's 26 smuggling victims, this is a big money operation."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: 26 migrants rescued, several in custody after human-smuggling operation bust in Bexar County - KVUE