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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Tuesday that officers were investigating human trafficking and were at the scene of a devastating crash in California that has left at least 13 people dead, according to the agency.
The investigation was announced after human smugglers and 25 illegal immigrants got stuck in a single SUV, which collided with a large platform and left bodies strewn on a road near the border Mexican-American on Tuesday, a border patrol source told Fox News on Tuesday.
“Special agents from Homeland Security Investigations San Diego have responded … and launched an investigation into human trafficking,” ICE said in a statement.
‘MASS CASUALTY’ CRASH IN CALIFORNIA INVOLVED BY SMUGGLERS, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, SAYS SOURCE OF BORDER PATROL
Law enforcement is working at the scene of a fatal crash in Holtville, Calif. On Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Authorities say a semi-truck crashed into an SUV carrying 25 people on a highway in Quebec. southern California, killing at least 13 people. (AP Photo / Gregory Bull)
Police arrived to find some of the passengers trying to crawl out of the crumpled 1997 Ford Expedition – which normally seats eight – while others strolled through nearby fields. Officials added that the SUV’s rear seats had been removed to create more space for passengers.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) agents found 12 dead at the scene. Another person died at a local hospital, authorities said. The other eight injured victims were transported to local hospitals.
“It was a pretty chaotic scene,” said CHP chief Omar Watson.
Mexican consulate staff confirmed that at least 10 of those killed in the crash were Mexicans, according to a tweet from Roberto Velasco, director of North American affairs in Mexico’s foreign relations department.
Those in the vehicle were between 15 and 53 years old, officials said. Authorities are still trying to confirm the nationality of three people, according to reports.
“We will continue to work closely with the authorities to help the dead and injured Mexicans,” Velasco added.
The collision occurred at an intersection just outside Holtville, Calif., About 11 miles north of the US-Mexico border, authorities said. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources told Fox News that the crash happened after a hole was drilled in the border fence near Calexico, California.
The region is known for smuggling. Migrants who died after crossing the border are buried in anonymous graves in Holtville Cemetery on the outskirts of town.
Law enforcement officers work at the scene of a fatal crash in Holtville, Calif. On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 (AP Photo / Gregory Bull)
As of early Wednesday, the immigration status of all passengers was unknown, authorities said. Macario Mora, a spokesperson for CBP, noted that officers were not chasing the SUV at the time of the crash.
Dr Adolphe Edward, chief medical officer of the El Centro regional medical center, told the hospital press conference that they “do not use the term undocumented in hospitals”.
“For us, these people who came to us are patients,” he added.
The Ford expedition reportedly entered an intersection directly in front of the large rig before colliding with the left side of the SUV which appeared to have been pushed out of the road, according to the CHP. Both vehicles came to rest on a shoulder of dirt.
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Authorities are not yet sure whether the driver of the SUV stopped at a stop sign before heading down the big rig path around 6:15 a.m., Watson told reporters. It was also not immediately clear why so many people were crammed into a vehicle built to hold eight people.
“It was an unusual number of people in an SUV, but we don’t know who they were,” Mora said.
If 25 people were inside the 1997 Ford Expedition, it would have easily exceeded the 2,000-pound maximum payload limit, said Frank Borris, former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Defect Investigation Bureau. Administration.
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“You’re going to have extended stopping distances, delayed reactions to steering commands and a potential overreaction to any type of lane change at high speed,” Borris added.
The 28-year-old SUV driver – from Mexicali, Mexico – was among those killed. The 68-year-old driver of the large platform from nearby El Centro was hospitalized with moderate injuries.
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin, Lucas Manfredi, William La Jeunesse, Adam Shaw and Associated Press contributed to this report
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