SAN ANTONIO – The memorial honoring 53 migrants, who died in the deadliest human smuggling case in U.S. history, is once again the focus of community concern.
Neighbors tell KSAT 12 that crime, vandalism and theft continue at the Quintana Road site on San Antonio’s Southwest Side.
Volunteers working in the area said they need help from the city to keep the property safe. Meanwhile, Council Member Edward Muniga, who represents District 4 where the memorial is located, said he’s working to find a solution to address these ongoing concerns.
On June 27, 2022, authorities found 67 migrants inside a sweltering semitrailer on Quintana Road. After it happened, the San Antonio community built crosses to remember those who died.
Around the one-year mark of the tragedy, the city unveiled its permanent memorial on the road.
The memorials stood until March 22, 2025, when the community-made crosses were vandalized.
“What has changed to protect this memorial in the last year?” KSAT Reporter Avery Everett asked Angelita Olvera. Olvera is a volunteer who upkeeps the memorial.
“Really, nothing has changed,” Olvera said. “We were told that we were gonna have cameras put here and that we’re still waiting on them.”
Olvera said illegal dumping and stealing are still persistent problems.
Muniga said he is looking into adding possibly cameras or lights to the area.
“There are some infrastructure concerns and issues that have come up,” he said.
The councilman said that because Quintana Road is wide and industrial, bigger lights are needed than those that can be run by solar panels.
“The nearest power source, unfortunately, is all the way down to the I-35 area,” Mungia said. “It has been challenging, but we continue to push on.”
He said he’s looking at options for an exemption to add solar panel lights to the memorial site.
San Antonio police confirmed Thursday no arrests have been made for the 2025 vandalism incident.
As far as the arrests made for the 2022 tragedy, two men have been sentenced so far. A third sentencing was expected this week, but was pushed back because of technical difficulties in court.
KSAT has extensively covered the Quintana Road tragedy and vandalism of the memorial. Read more of our reporting below: