A cell phone call may have saved the lives of 17 illegal immigrants who were found Sunday locked inside a hot tractor-trailer parked at a Flying J Travel Plaza in Edinburg, Texas.
Edinburg police say they found out about the truck from a person in Mexico who said a relative had called and complained about being trapped inside the trailer where temperatures were on the rise.
Police found 14 men and three women inside all of whom were alive. They had been inside the truck for up to eight hours, nbcnews.com reports. None of the occupants required medical attention. Their countries of origin include Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Romania.
Police arrested two Cuban nationals who were responsible for the truck, according to wreg.com. Edinburg is about 40 miles northwest of Brownsville near the Mexico border (map posted below).
Last month, ten undocumented immigrants died after being discovered in the back of a semi at a San Antonio Walmart. The driver of the truck was arrested and faces charges that could result in the death penalty if convicted.
Edinburg police confirm 17 undocumented migrants found inside a tractor trailer at the Flying J in Edinburg. @KRGV_Lauren on scene #RGV pic.twitter.com/pfeaLpgmlf
— Taylor Winkel (@twinkelnews) August 13, 2017
.@CustomsBorder Patrol is on scene, not commenting. @KRGV_Lauren is working to get more details on 17 undocumented found inside trailer #RGV pic.twitter.com/NuJ4qC8JPw
— Taylor Winkel (@twinkelnews) August 13, 2017
