Two El Paso
men are being held on murder charges in the deaths of two Mexican
immigrants who were trapped July 27 in a tractor-trailer for nine
hours in 96-degree heat. Bond was set at $1 million each, AP reports.Troy
Dock and Jason Sprague, both of El Paso, were being held on murder
charges in the Collin County jail.
By the time
the truck stopped on its route from El Paso to Dallas, two immigrants
were dead and dozens more among a total of 40 illegal immigrants
were hospitalized for heat exhaustion. Immigration officials said
they believe others were involved in a much bigger smuggling operation.
According to their employer, Boyd Logistics Inc. of El Paso, the
two were new hires. Only 27 of the immigrants have been accounted
for, regional INS spokesman Lynn Ligon said.
According
to witnesses, the immigrants said they paid between $1,500 and
$2,000 for the trip to Dallas. Ligon said the immigrants will
have the choice of voluntarily returning to Mexico or attending
a hearing before an immigration judge.
