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Journey of Death for Illegal Immigrants

Aired May 15, 2003 - 13:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It was like being in a hot, airless tomb. Survivors are describing a horrifying ordeal inside a tractor- trailer packed with dozens of suspected illegal immigrants. Eighteen people died in what authorities are calling a human smuggling operation.
And today, the trailer's driver and owner are facing federal smuggling charges.

Gary Tuchman joining us now from Victoria, Texas with the latest -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Kyra, those federal charges are being officially filed in a federal court in Houston, as we speak. This is a man from New York State, the alleged owner of the truck, the alleged driver of the truck. His name: Tyrone Williams.

We got our first look at him about an hour-and-a-half ago when he entered the court in Houston about two hours north of here in Victoria, Texas. He is charged with officially smuggling aliens, conspiracy to smuggle aliens, but more charges will likely be added. And they are looking, authorities, for more suspects, at least two more people involved in this case.

Eighteen people killed, and we keep saying that number over and over again. You can't lose sight of the fact how horrible this was in this truck. These are people we're talking about, who were healthy when they left. And for a lot of the investigators on the scene, when they saw one of the people who died, a 7-year-old boy, a small child lying in the back of the truck, it was hard for them to continue the investigation for a period of time.

As we speak, 62 people are being held here in Victoria, Texas, 62 of the illegal immigrants; 20 to 50 more ran away. So, between 107 and 137 illegal immigrants from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador were on this truck that was broiling hot. It was a refrigerated truck. This truck, according to authorities, was used to deliver milk, to deliver watermelons, so it had refrigeration, but the refrigeration was completely off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SHELBY, U.S. ATTORNEY: I don't know that there was anything wrong with the refrigerator. And I know that it was not used at the time that these people suffered in the way that they did. And they -- the individuals that died apparently died from both asphyxiation and heat stroke. The internal temperature of the truck was well beyond 100 degrees for an extended period of time.

And the scene within the truck was one of the most gruesome things that I've ever witnessed personally. These people were obviously in a great deal of distress and panic before they died.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Ultimately, Tyrone Williams could face the possibility of life in prison or the possibility of the federal death penalty.

We do want to tell you one thing about the refrigeration, because this could be an important part of how they prosecute the case. If the refrigeration unit was broken, it might have a different impact on what they do, how aggressive they are. But we are told by a source that after they got to the scene, after they saw the carnage and how horrible it was, they tested the refrigeration unit. They turned it on, and within a short time the back of that truck, where it was over 100 degrees -- probably much more than 100, but over 100 degrees -- within a short time the temperature got down to 62 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kyra -- back to you.

PHILLIPS: Gary, now, you talk about being aggressive. I mean, Tyrone Williams can't be the only one that's running these types of coyote caravans. Has there been an open discussion or more talk about cracking down on other operations like this one?

TUCHMAN: Well, no one kids themselves here. They know that there are a lot more cases that go through, that get past the Mexican border that they know nothing about. So, they don't know how many people die in trucks like this.

They do know in this case -- and this is what's very interesting -- they believe this driver only took these immigrants from Harlingen, Texas, from over the Mexican border to here. They say these immigrants were with different smugglers to get over the border into the United States.

PHILLIPS: A number of other people to be held accountable. Gary Tuchman from Victoria Texas, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired May 15, 2003 - 13:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It was like being in a hot, airless tomb. Survivors are describing a horrifying ordeal inside a tractor- trailer packed with dozens of suspected illegal immigrants. Eighteen people died in what authorities are calling a human smuggling operation.
And today, the trailer's driver and owner are facing federal smuggling charges.

Gary Tuchman joining us now from Victoria, Texas with the latest -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Kyra, those federal charges are being officially filed in a federal court in Houston, as we speak. This is a man from New York State, the alleged owner of the truck, the alleged driver of the truck. His name: Tyrone Williams.

We got our first look at him about an hour-and-a-half ago when he entered the court in Houston about two hours north of here in Victoria, Texas. He is charged with officially smuggling aliens, conspiracy to smuggle aliens, but more charges will likely be added. And they are looking, authorities, for more suspects, at least two more people involved in this case.

Eighteen people killed, and we keep saying that number over and over again. You can't lose sight of the fact how horrible this was in this truck. These are people we're talking about, who were healthy when they left. And for a lot of the investigators on the scene, when they saw one of the people who died, a 7-year-old boy, a small child lying in the back of the truck, it was hard for them to continue the investigation for a period of time.

As we speak, 62 people are being held here in Victoria, Texas, 62 of the illegal immigrants; 20 to 50 more ran away. So, between 107 and 137 illegal immigrants from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador were on this truck that was broiling hot. It was a refrigerated truck. This truck, according to authorities, was used to deliver milk, to deliver watermelons, so it had refrigeration, but the refrigeration was completely off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SHELBY, U.S. ATTORNEY: I don't know that there was anything wrong with the refrigerator. And I know that it was not used at the time that these people suffered in the way that they did. And they -- the individuals that died apparently died from both asphyxiation and heat stroke. The internal temperature of the truck was well beyond 100 degrees for an extended period of time.

And the scene within the truck was one of the most gruesome things that I've ever witnessed personally. These people were obviously in a great deal of distress and panic before they died.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Ultimately, Tyrone Williams could face the possibility of life in prison or the possibility of the federal death penalty.

We do want to tell you one thing about the refrigeration, because this could be an important part of how they prosecute the case. If the refrigeration unit was broken, it might have a different impact on what they do, how aggressive they are. But we are told by a source that after they got to the scene, after they saw the carnage and how horrible it was, they tested the refrigeration unit. They turned it on, and within a short time the back of that truck, where it was over 100 degrees -- probably much more than 100, but over 100 degrees -- within a short time the temperature got down to 62 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kyra -- back to you.

PHILLIPS: Gary, now, you talk about being aggressive. I mean, Tyrone Williams can't be the only one that's running these types of coyote caravans. Has there been an open discussion or more talk about cracking down on other operations like this one?

TUCHMAN: Well, no one kids themselves here. They know that there are a lot more cases that go through, that get past the Mexican border that they know nothing about. So, they don't know how many people die in trucks like this.

They do know in this case -- and this is what's very interesting -- they believe this driver only took these immigrants from Harlingen, Texas, from over the Mexican border to here. They say these immigrants were with different smugglers to get over the border into the United States.

PHILLIPS: A number of other people to be held accountable. Gary Tuchman from Victoria Texas, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.