On Wednesday, local authorities said at least 10 people were killed in Texas, near the border with Mexico, in a truck crash carrying about 30 people who may be illegal immigrants.
Texas authorities said they were investigating a “major incident” near the town of Valvorias, just a few kilometers from the border with Mexico.
Screenshot / CNN
A Ford pickup truck was heading north on a highway when it skidded and hit a metal utility pole and traffic light, a witness said.
Texas authorities said the driver and nine passengers were killed at the scene.
According to a local official, there were about 30 people in the car.
“It appears that they are illegal immigrants, but we have to work with consulates,” Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sergeant Nathan Brandley told AFP.
The use of overloaded vehicles is a feature of the modus operandi of migrant smugglers at the border between the two countries.
In March, an alleged smuggler was charged after 13 people were killed in a collision of a heavy truck and a crowded car in Southern California.
Immigrant arrivals to the United States declined significantly during the pandemic and began to recover slightly in 2020, before picking up since President Joe Biden took office. Republicans accuse him of causing “recruitment” by easing the brutal immigration policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump.