Texas Human Trafficking: 9 Dead, Dozens Hospitalized After Being Found In Truck (UPDATE)

SAN ANTONIO, TX — A suspected human trafficking operation ended in tragedy when eight people were found dead in the back of a semi-trailer in San Antonio containing 39 people, all undocumented immigrants, local and federal officials said. The Department of Justice said an additional victim has died, raising the death toll to nine.

Police were alerted to the rig parked at a Walmart parking lot in southwest San Antonio on Sunday at around 12:30 a.m. after one of the victims was able to exit the truck and ask a bystander for water, San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus said during a press conference. After being alerted by a Walmart employee, police found eight people already dead and another 20 in severe states of heat exhaustion, the chief said.

All told, 38 people were found inside the semi-trailer with a broken air-conditioning system, San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood added. Children were among the victims found in the car, and the others inside the truck range in ages from the 20s and 30s, McManus said. The juveniles range in ages from 10 to 17, officials said.

Watch: At Least 9 Found Dead Inside Hot Tractor-Trailer In San Antonio

"We're looking at a human trafficking crime here," McManus said.

The DOJ said a total of 39 people were found, not 38, as an additional person who had been in the trailer was found in a wooded area nearby. All of the deceased are adult males.

The driver of the vehicle is in police custody, McManus said. It's unclear where the truck had come from, and the place of origin of those inside the truck is also not known. The vehicle was found at the intersection of Interstate 35 and Highway 16 parked in the Walmart lot, officials said.

The driver was identified as James Bradley Jr., 60, of Clearwater, Florida. A criminal complaint against Bradley is expected to be filed Monday morning in federal court in San Antonio. DOJ officials said Bradley will have an initial appearance after the complaint is filed.

Hood described 20 of the survivors as having been found in extremely critical or severe conditions with life-threatening injuries and eight more with non-life threatening injuries. Some of the victims had heart rates of more than 130 beats per minute and were hot to the touch, the fire chief added, with all survivors transported to seven various hospitals in San Antonio, some via medical helicopter. Asked what would happen to the victims once they are treated, McManus said they would be interviewed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the AP that an additional victim died in the hospital. He also said there may have been more than 100 people in the truck and some survivors identified themselves as Mexican nationals.

The fire chief said it would be later Sunday when the ages and genders of the victims would be officially confirmed.

McManus said those responsible would face both state and federal charges, adding that officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also are involved in the investigation.

"We're very fortunate that there weren't 38 of these people that were all locked inside that vehicle dead, but, again, a very sad incident that our police and fire departments have responded on," he said.

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement on Sunday: "The loss of these lives is a heartbreaking tragedy," calling for bolstered efforts to eradicate human smuggling in Texas, labeling the scourge as "epidemic" in its scope.

For his part, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said the tragedy dramatically illustrates the brutality of human smuggling. He reiterated his agency and its Latin American counterparts are working in tandem to wipe out trafficking.

"This tragedy demonstrates the brutality of the network of which I often speak," Kelly said in a prepared statement. "These smugglers have no regard for human life and seek only profits. The Department of Homeland Security and its partners in the U.S., Mexico and Central America will continue to root out these smugglers, bring them to justice and dismantle their networks."

Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, who represents San Antonio, called the deaths tragic and avoidable. He also called for the smugglers to be prosecuted under the fullest extent of the law.

Lloyd Doggett, another Texas representative whose district covers parts of San Antonio, called for a reform of America's broken immigration system.

Texas Rep. Will Hurd called the tragedy in his hometown "sickening."

For District 4 San Antonio City Councilman Rey Saldaña, the tragedy hit especially close to home in both the figurative and literal sense — not only occurring in the city he serves as a member of council but also in very close proximity to his home.

"Still feels like a bad dream," Saldaña wrote on his Facebook page. "Police Chief calls me at 2:30 a.m. describing a tragedy two minutes from my home. I spend an hour on scene with eight desperate human bodies covered by a yellow tarp. May God bless their souls."

While Abbott and other lawmakers struck the appropriate tone in expressing their sadness over the tragedy sans partisan underpinnings, others are facing criticism for seemingly capitalizing on the incident to score political points. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took to Facebook Sunday afternoon to use the tragedy in lauding his role in the passage of a so-called "sanctuary cities" law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration.

"Today's tragedy is why I made passing Senate Bill 4 to ban sanctuary cities — which is now law — a top priority," Patrick wrote on his Facebook page. "Sanctuary cities entice people to believe they can come to America and Texas and live outside the law. Sanctuary cities also enable human smugglers and cartels."

Due to take effect on Sept. 1, SB 4 was designed to allow law enforcement officials the ability to ask residents about their citizenship status, including during traffic stops, if they're perceived to be undocumented. The law also allows for fines and potential jail time of police chiefs and sheriffs viewed as being too soft on enforcing immigration laws in their jurisdictions.

"Today, these people paid a terrible price and demonstrate why we need a secure border and legal immigration reform so we can control who enters our country," Patrick added. "We continue to pray for the families and friends of the victims."

Sen. John Cornyn also faced criticism for his reaction expressed via Twitter: "Border security will help prevent this Texas tragedy," he wrote before recapping reports on the number of dead reported.

State Rep. Justin Rodriguez took Cornyn to task for the seemingly cold response, replying to Cornyn on his Twitter feed: "With all due respect senator at least acknowledge these families are fleeing ungodly circumstances. Let's lead with compassion and grace."

Rodriguez's comment earned a riposte from the U.S. senator: "Compassion is called for. But lawlessness ensures cartels will continue to profit from these tragedies. Status quo is not compassionate."

The extreme Texas heat undoubtedly contributed to the deaths, with the high temperature reaching 101 degrees on Saturday. The whole of Texas has been under sweltering heat, with temperatures consistently in the triple digits as records for high temperatures drop with the progression of summer.

Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this report

Image: San Antonio police officers investigate the scene Sunday, July 23, 2017, where eight people were found dead in a tractor-trailer loaded with at least 30 others outside a Walmart store in stifling summer heat in what police are calling a horrific human trafficking case, in San Antonio. (Photo by Eric Gay/Associated Press)