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Cubans and migrants from eight other nationalities were trapped inside a burning trailer on Thursday during a police chase in Hidalgo County, Texas, in an incident that could have ended in a massive tragedy.
It all began at 8:36 p.m. when the vehicle approached the Border Patrol checkpoint in Falfurrias, in Encino, Texas, and a detection dog alerted the agents, who sent the trailer for secondary inspection.
The driver, Jairo Juli Holguin-Florentino, accelerated and fled north on US 281 before turning south towards Hidalgo County.
Border Patrol agents and troops from the Texas Department of Public Safety deployed tire deflation devices, but Holguin-Florentino continued to advance with the punctured tires until the tractor-trailer caught fire approximately six miles north of Linn.
After removing Holguin-Florentino and his companion, Cristian Johansel Mirambeaux-Martinez —his son-in-law, according to the criminal complaint—, the agents heard screams coming from the burning trailer.
The agents attempted to force the lock of the trailer door unsuccessfully and had to ask the detainees for the keys to open it, which revealed 39 people trapped inside while the vehicle was burning.
The 39 rescued migrants were nationals of Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.
Two of the migrants stated that they were picked up from "safe houses" in Rome and Edinburg, Texas, and identified Holguin-Florentino and Mirambeaux-Martinez as the individuals who loaded them into the trailer.
All the migrants received medical attention and no serious injuries were reported.
The case is under joint investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Border Patrol, and the Office of Professional Responsibility of Customs and Border Protection.
On Saturday, the prosecution filed a formal criminal complaint against both defendants, who are facing federal charges of conspiracy to transport foreigners in a way that endangers their lives.
The incident recalls the worst human trafficking tragedy in Texas in recent times: in June 2022, 53 migrants died from asphyxiation inside an abandoned truck in San Antonio.
Human trafficking networks commonly use "safe houses" in cities along the Rio Grande Valley to concentrate migrants before transporting them further inland in cargo vehicles, subjecting them to extremely dangerous conditions.
Holguin-Florentino and Mirambeaux-Martinez remained in custody this Monday and were scheduled to appear before a federal judge during the day.
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