Migrant deaths rising as they turn to smuggling operations

(NewsNation) — Migrant deaths are on the rise at the southern border as many put their trust in human smugglers to make the dangerous cross across the desert.

Conditions are rough currently with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit across the southern border. Many migrants are carrying backpacks, and even children, as they try to make the trip, and often don’t have enough water.

This is the reality for many migrants who are putting themselves in the hands of dangerous smugglers, who are getting more and more creative with their smuggling operations.

NewsNation obtained exclusive images out of Carrizo Springs, Texas, showing four migrants stuffed into a dresser that was being transported in a U-Haul hours north to San Antonio by American citizens.

Border Patrol agents tell NewsNation they are confident the migrants would not have survived the journey in those conditions had they not been stopped.

Last week in Yuma, Texas, two migrants lost in the desert without water were rescued by Border Patrol’s search trauma and rescue teams.

Agents in the Del Rio Sector say there have been at least six deaths in the past five days, and they expect that number to increase as migrants continue to be rescued from near-death situations.

Two migrant bodies were recovered in the past two weeks in Kinney County, part of the Del Rio Sector, according to a Kinney County Sheriff.

“That’s the heat. That’s the long distances they’re having to cover because we’ve got that highway shut down. Light water, we haven’t had a whole lot of rain,” said Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe. “It costs me money, costs me effort, wear and tear on my equipment. Awful.”

Migrants often end up in smuggling vehicles as they try to evade checkpoints. As they stop at the checkpoint, people will jump out of vehicles, justifying it by saying Houston or San Antonio are just a couple of hours away by car. Many migrants end up walking.

Last year, 853 migrants died after crossing into the U.S., Customs and Border Patrol reported. Law enforcement tells NewsNation they expect the deaths to be worse this year.