MEXICO CITY — Days after they stated goodbye to their little children sure for america, the calls began coming in: Their family members had arrived in Texas however perished at the back of an deserted, sweltering tractor-trailer.
Texas
‘I have no tears left’: Relatives learn loved ones died in Texas migrant tragedy
The 2 males, Fernando Jose Redondo Caballero, 20, and Alejandro Miguel Andino Caballero, 24, had left house in early June and paid a smuggler to make the journey north. They traveled with Margie Tamara Paz, 25, the girlfriend of Alejandro Miguel.
Caballero described her sons as “wholesome, studious,” telling journalists they cherished soccer and dancing and left “in the hunt for a greater future.”
“For me they had been the sweetest boys in my world,” she stated, by tears.
Because the health worker’s workplace started the painstaking means of figuring out victims, households throughout Mexico and Central America have begun studying that family members who left in the hunt for a future in america are among the many 53 useless.
A portrait of those that had been contained in the tractor-trailer is slowly coming collectively. The migrants hailed from as distant because the distant Mayan village of Nahuala, excessive within the mountains of Guatemala. Some had been in america earlier than. Others had plans to reunite with relations. Most had been younger and sought to perform easy desires similar to incomes sufficient to construct a house.
Two of the youngest had been 13.
Pascual Melvin Guachiac Sipac, had left Sololá, Guatemala, 15 days in the past to stay together with his dad in Houston. On Wednesday morning the teenager’s mom, Maria Sipac Coj, acquired a name from a neighborhood congressman telling her that her son’s physique had been discovered within the trailer.
“He was so excited to be together with his father once more,” she stated, weeping.
She nonetheless has his final message to her on her cellphone: “Mother, at the moment they’re taking me in a trailer.”
Pascual’s cousin, Juan Wilmer Tulul Tepaz, additionally 13, accompanied him on the journey and died as nicely.
4 individuals — the driving force of the trailer and three others related to the human-smuggling ring — had been charged late Wednesday for his or her involvement within the incident, as extra particulars about these behind the operation, the trail of the truck and who was inside got here to mild.
The top of Mexico’s immigration company, Francisco Garduño Yáñez, stated the trailer originated in Texas and “didn’t cross by Mexico, by any of its checkpoints within the nation.” Homero Zamorano Jr., 45, was captured on safety footage driving the car by a U.S. Customs and Border Safety checkpoint in Encinal, Tex., shortly earlier than 3 p.m. on Monday, he stated. The car continued north, Yáñez stated, earlier than stopping in San Antonio, the place it was found on a desolate stretch of highway.
Yáñez stated the truck had been full of 67 individuals, and the useless included 27 from Mexico, 14 from Honduras, seven from Guatemala and two from El Salvador.
U.S. federal authorities stated Zamorano was discovered hiding in brush close by. In response to Yáñez, he tried to cross himself off as a surviving migrant. He was charged with one rely of alien smuggling leading to demise and faces as much as life in jail or probably the demise penalty if convicted.
Investigators discovered cellphone communications between Zamorano and Christian Martinez, 28, who has been charged with conspiracy to move unlawful aliens leading to demise. Two different males, Juan Claudio D’Luna-Mendez, 23, and Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao, 48, face weapons costs.
The tragedy has resonated throughout Mexico and Central America, the place all these to this point recognized hailed from — a area the place rising numbers want to flee violence, corruption and poverty for a life in america.
Within the small village of San Marcos, within the Mexican state of Veracruz, Yolanda Olivares Ruiz was determined after shedding contact along with her two sons, Yovani Valencia Olivares, 16, and Jair Valencia Olivares 19, who departed for america final week. The brothers left with their 16-year-old cousin, Misael Olivares.
The household final heard from her sons on Monday morning, after they wrote a textual content message saying they had been ready to be “picked up” from a warehouse in Laredo, Tex., Olivares Ruiz stated. The brothers had been elated that that they had made it to america after wading throughout the Rio Grande.
“They had been so pleased and hopeful that by subsequent morning, they’d be becoming a member of a relative who was ready for them in Austin and begin working,” she stated.
Since that final message, they haven’t replied to determined calls and numerous texts.
“We don’t know something about them. The uncertainty is killing us,” she stated, carrying a photograph of her two sons. “I’ve no tears left.”
Olivares Ruiz’s sons, like so many others on this city, dreamed of discovering a job in america and making sufficient cash to assemble a home and purchase a automobile, she stated. They promised to come back again to Mexico.
“I couldn’t say no to them as a result of there may be nothing right here for them,” she stated.
Olivares Ruiz bought her home to lift $10,000 for every of her sons to pay the smuggler, who, she stated, appeared like a form man and had helped different relations cross to america earlier this yr.
“I’m positive they had been inside that trailer,” stated Teofilo Antonio Valencia Olivares, father of the 2 lacking boys. If it seems that they had been, Yolanda Olivares Ruiz hoped they is perhaps injured.
“I simply wish to know if they’re okay, and in the event that they mendacity in a hospital mattress, to inform them, ‘My son, I’m right here with you,’” she stated.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s workplace stated they’ve tentative identifications for 37 of the 53 our bodies turned over to them. A workforce of devoted workers are combing by private results, documenting distinctive options and different proof discovered on the people that would assist establish them.”
“Generally it’s state identifications or a voting card from their nation of origin,” stated county spokesman Tom Peine. “However it’s solely a possible identification. We nonetheless have to confirm whether or not the paperwork belong to the individual or another person. Our workforce is devoted and keen about placing a reputation to each life represented.”
Peine stated as soon as the workforce develops a doable identification, they coordinate with consular workers to corroborate as a lot data wanted to confirm a optimistic ID. The consulates additionally assist with discovering and contacting households as soon as they’re positive they’ve recognized a person, and have been publicizing a particular cellphone quantity for households to name if they believe their cherished one was purported to be on the tractor-trailer.
The health worker’s workplace is at the moment coordinating with the consulates of El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, however Peine stated they anticipate the method will take time. However they gained’t sacrifice diligence for velocity, he stated. Staff from the Travis and Dallas County health worker’s workplaces are serving to with the autopsies.
“We additionally ask for endurance, as the massive variety of victims and the expectation that almost all or probably all are residents of overseas international locations [will] doubtless result in a chronic course of,” the workplace stated in an announcement.
For some households, the information arriving from Texas has introduced each hope and anguish.
Alejandro López stated his cousin, José Luis Vásquez Guzmán, 32, survived. However one other cousin, Javier Flores López, remains to be unaccounted for. The 2 had been from the small village of Cerro Verde in Oaxaca, Mexico, a spot the place many residents at have examined their luck in attempting to achieve america.
Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s overseas minister, posted a photograph of Guzmán’s identification on-line Tuesday, saying he was considered one of a couple of dozen migrants nonetheless hospitalized.
“They’re dehydrated and receiving medical consideration now,” Ebrard stated.
Guzmán’s father died when he was 10, and the household is poor. He briefly served within the army, he stated. Each Guzmán and Flores López had been hoping to get to Ohio, the place that they had household.
“The choices are: be a police officer, be a part of the army,” Alejandro López stated, “or go to america.”
Gabriela Martinez in Mexico Metropolis contributed to this report.