A Smuggling Tragedy in San Antonio

The Takeaway | Jul 23, 2017

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview. 

In a grueling discovery in San Antonio, Texas, over the weekend, at least nine people died after being found inside a sweltering semi-trailer that was parked in a Walmart parking lot.  Authorities say at least 30 others who were found in the truck were being treated for heat exposure after being inside the trailer with no air conditioning or water as temperatures outside topped 100 degrees.

Richard L. Durbin, U.S. Attorney for the western district of Texas, said those found in the truck were “victims of ruthless human smugglers indifferent to the well being of their fragile cargo.”

For a look at this tragedy, The Takeaway turns to Denise Brennen,  chair of the Department of Anthropology at Georgetown University who writes about migration, trafficking, and labor. Her last book is "Life Interrupted: Trafficking into Forced Labor in the United States."

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.

 

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