SENTENDREY IN DALLAS COUNTY. DAVID. THANK YOU. ONE PERSON REMAINS HOSPITALIZED AFTER A GROUP OF ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSERS SMUGGLED FROM MEXICO WERE FOUND IN MISERABLE CONDITIONS OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOUND 26 PEOPLE YESTERDAY. THEY WERE SMUGGLED IN SECRET COMPARTMENTS IN A LONG FLATBED TRAILER PULLED BY A PICKUP. THEY WERE BEING TRANSFERRED TO A SHACK WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT CAUGHT THE OPERATION IN THE ACT. SEVEN SUSPECTED SMUGGLERS ARE IN CUSTODY NOW. FOX FOUR'S BLAKE HANSEN IN STUDIO WITH THE LATEST ON THE INVESTIGATION. BLAKE YES, STEVE. THE SHERIFF SAYS THAT THIS WAS CARTEL RELATED, AND HE HAD HARSH WORDS FOR THE SMUGGLERS INVOLVED IN MOVING PEOPLE LIKE A PRODUCT. NEW VIDEO SHOWS THE TRAILER. THE BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS 26 PEOPLE WERE SMUGGLED IN THE PIPES ATOP A DECOY. THE SPACE BELOW THE HIDDEN COMPARTMENT WHERE THEY WERE STASHED FOR THREE HOURS. UNDERNEATH IS A LARGE FALSE COMPARTMENT THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE JUST LAYING DOWN IN THERE, EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS, BASICALLY LAYING ON REALLY HARD MESH. THE BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS IT GOT A TIP ABOUT A SMUGGLING OPERATION EARLY THURSDAY. THEY ARRIVED TO SEE THE MIGRANTS BEING OFFLOADED TO A STASH HOUSE. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS IT WAS MORE SHACK THAN HOUSE IN SOME SOME AREAS OF IT, IT'S ELEVATED, BUT IT'S OPEN AIR. IT'S GOT OPEN, THE WINDOWS ARE OPEN, THERE'S NO AC IN THERE, THERE'S NO RUNNING WATER. THEY'VE THEY'VE GOT BUCKETS THAT EVERYBODY'S BEEN UTILIZING AS TOILETS. AND FOR I DON'T EVEN, I DIDN'T EVEN SEE ANY SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER. BUT IT'S MISERABLE CONDITIONS THERE AND IT'S JUST BLAZING HOT IN THERE. 12 OF THE 26 MIGRANTS WERE TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITALS FOR HEAT RELATED AND OTHER MINOR INJURIES. ONE REMAINED HOSPITALIZED LATE FRIDAY. DEPUTIES SAY THEY CAME FROM MEXICO, HONDURAS, VENEZUELA AND GUATEMALA. THE SHERIFF SAYS ONE YOUNG WOMAN PAID 16,000 USD. THERE'S 26 SMUGGLING VICTIMS. THIS IS A BIG MONEY OPERATION. SEVEN SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED, THREE CHARGED WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THREE WITH OPERATING A STASH HOUSE, ONE FOR EVADING ARREST. AUTHORITIES SAY THEY UNCOVERED BULLETPROOF VESTS AND LONG RIFLES DURING THEIR SEARCH OF THE PROPERTY. THIS IS THE FAULT OF THE BLOODTHIRSTY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE BRINGING THESE PEOPLE ACROSS AND PUTTING THEM IN HARM'S WAY, SAN ANTONIO WAS THE SITE OF THE NATION'S DEADLIEST SMUGGLING CASE IN 2022, WHEN 53 MIGRANTS, INCLUDING EIGHT CHILDREN, DIED AFTER THEY WERE TRAPPED IN A TRAILER WITH A MALFUNCTIONING AIR CONDITIONING UNIT. THE SHERIFF SAYS THIS TIME THEY GOT TO EVERYONE IN TIME, CLEARLY CARTEL RELATED. SO AT PRESENT, WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE UNRAVELING THIS WHOLE THING. BUT WE CAN TELL YOU DEFINITIVELY, WE THINK EVERYBODY'S OUT OF THE WOODS AS FAR AS LOSING THEIR LIFE. THE ONE MIGRANT WHO REMAINS HOSPITALIZED IS THERE
