Consulates Notifying Families of Those Deceased
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WESLACO – Federal regulators are investigating the Iowa-based trucking company linked to the 10 deaths in a human smuggling attempt in San Antonio.
Meanwhile, consulate offices are busy notifying families of the deceased.
Pyle Transportation, the company of the trailer involved, is under investigation. Company owner Brian Pyle said Monday he had no idea how dozens of immigrants ended packed into a trailer with their company name on it.
He said the company had sold the trailer to an individual in Mexico and an independent contractor was driving it to Brownsville to carry out a sale.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS reached out to the Guatemalan consulate in McAllen about some of the individuals who died as a result of being inside the trailer for a long period of time.
Guatemalan Diplomat Cristy Andrino said they’ve been working closely with the Mexican consulate in San Antonio to identify the bodies and contact families.
She said at least one of the deceased was a 19-year-old Guatemalan national who had been previously deported.
“We have already contacted the family and the family is deciding whether to have him shipped to Guatemala or to remain here. We don’t know that yet. It is something they have to decide,” she said.
Andrino said deportation would have barred the now deceased Guatemalan from re-entering the U.S. legally.
She said two of the dead have yet to be identified.
Andrino added two of the injured are also from Guatemala. Both are reportedly in good condition.
The Guatemala consulate said they try to prevent tragedies like these by showing the dangers of illegal crossings in their country.
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