‘They feared for their lives’: Driver arrested, 13 migrants suffer heat illness after smuggling bust in Dilley

Migrants were ‘hot to the touch, visibly weak and sweating profusely,’ police say

A driver is in custody and 13 migrants are detained after being sickened by the heat during a smuggling bust in Dilley, according to police. (Dilley Police Department)

DILLEY, Texas – A driver is in custody and 13 migrants are detained after being sickened by the heat during a smuggling bust in Dilley, according to police.

Officers spotted a vehicle with several people in the back around 4 p.m. Friday on the outskirts of town.

Recommended Videos



The vehicle was pulled over by police and several of the passengers tried to run away on foot. Officers were still able to apprehend all of the occupants, including the driver.

Thirteen migrants were found in the vehicle, according to Dilley PD, and they were “hot to the touch, visibly weak and sweating profusely,” due to the triple-digit temperatures.

“The conditions inside the vehicle were ‘unbearable’ as described by some of the victims...,” Dilley PD said in a Facebook post. “Some of them advised that they feared for their lives and believed they would not make it to their final destination.”

Officers provided medical care to those who were suffering from heat illness inside the vehicle. Emergency personnel from Frio and Medina counties also assisted.

The driver was arrested but charges are currently pending.

Also on KSAT:


About the Author:

Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois.