Texas migrants tragedy: Innocent trucker FALSELY accused of involvement over STOLEN license plate
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: The family of a Texas man said that he is being targeted after people wrongfully identified him as the owner of the truck where 51 migrants were found dead along the US-Mexico border in one of the worst cases of human smuggling in recent times. The truck's license plate and registration were linked to an Alamo man. However, his son-in-law, Isaac Limon, alleged that the information was stolen. The real truck belonging to the family, he said, was in another part of Texas, hauling grain.
"It was a perfect setup," Limon told the Washington Post. "The truck is here. I'm looking at it right now. Sad to say, but he's a bit of a victim, too, because people believe it was him." Limon claimed that a channel called Telemundo's reporting suggested that his truck was used in the crime. Telemundo reportedly linked the truck to the father-in-law's Trucking & Harvesting company in their coverage. Limon said that his father-in-law has been left "shaken" by the false claims.
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Additionally, in a Facebook post, Limon wrote of the tragedy, "Just want to help clear my Father-In-Law’s name: He is not the owner of the truck in San Antonio that is involved in this tragic event. His DOT Number was illegally copied onto the truck. I gave an interview with Washington Post, who was professional enough to contact him first, before giving out any names. Telemundo did not verify the facts before airing the story. The simple fact is the VIN and Registration of that vehicle is not in any way linked to him."
In an effort to make the vehicle look like a properly registered truck, it was reportedly cloned. Apparently, the truck was painted to match one of the company's own, and the legal vehicle’s Department of Transportation registration number was also copied.
At least 46 migrants were found dead on Monday, June 27, inside a tractor-trailer on a Texas roadway. The bodies were found inside the 18-wheeler on Quintana Road in San Antonio. As many as 16 survivors were initially rushed to area hospitals in various conditions, but some of them later died. The death toll has now risen to 51.
The truck driver, who initially fled, was apprehended by authorities in a nearby field. He has been taken into federal custody. Two other suspects have been arrested, and authorities said one of them is an American citizen. First responders said that they approached the vehicle and found “stacks of bodies” that were allegedly sprinkled with steak seasoning to hide the odor of decay.
A number of survivors are now battling for their lives in six local hospitals. They were rescued from the 18-wheeler which reportedly did not have air conditioning or refrigeration. On Monday, temperatures in San Antonio reached a high of 103 degrees. According to first responders, the people were suffering from heat stroke. Victims identified by authorities include at least 27 Mexicans, seven Guatemalans, and two Hondurans so far.