2 Men Charged in Connection with Deaths of 53 People Found Inside 18-Wheeler: Reports

Juan Claudio D'Luna-Mendez and Juan Francisco D'Luna-Bilbao are charged with being in "possession of a weapon by an alien illegally in the United States"

Two men have reportedly been charged in connection with the deaths of 53 people who were found inside an 18-wheeler in southwest San Antonio, Texas, on Monday.

According to court documents obtained by CNN, Juan Claudio D'Luna-Mendez and Juan Francisco D'Luna-Bilbao are charged federally with being in "possession of a weapon by an alien illegally in the United States."

"D'Luna-Bilbao admitted to possession of the Tanfoglio handgun in the F-250 and the Mossberg shotgun in his bedroom," the document states, according to a tweet from CBS News' Rob Legare, alleging that D'Luna-Bilbao "also admitted to his immigration status in the United States as a Visa overstay."

Aside from admitting "to possession of the three firearms in his bedroom," D'Luna-Mendez "also admitted to his immigration status in the United States as a Visa overstay," according to the court document Legare shared.

It was not immediately clear whether the two men were among the three individuals taken into custody Monday.

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eric Gay/AP/Shutterstock (13008136a) Body bags lie at the scene where a tractor trailer with multiple dead bodies was discovered, in San Antonio Migrant Deaths, San Antonio, United States - 27 Jun 2022
Police block the scene where a truck with multiple dead bodies was discovered in San Antonio, Texas. Eric Gay/AP/Shutterstock

The San Antonio PD shared more details about the "horrific tragedy" on Monday.

Chief William P. McManus said in a live press conference via Facebook that police received the first call at 5:50 p.m. local time. An employee who worked at a nearby building "heard a cry for help" and "came out to investigate." Upon approaching the truck, he saw the door was "partially open" and soon found the 46 dead individuals inside.

An additional 16 people (12 adults and four children) were rushed to nearby hospitals in varying conditions after multiple police, fire trucks and ambulances responded to the scene at the 9600 block of Quintana Road.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eric Gay/AP/Shutterstock (13008136a) Body bags lie at the scene where a tractor trailer with multiple dead bodies was discovered, in San Antonio Migrant Deaths, San Antonio, United States - 27 Jun 2022
Police block the scene where a truck with multiple dead bodies was discovered in San Antonio, Texas. Eric Gay/AP/Shutterstock

Two were admitted to University Hospital and at least five were brought to Baptist Medical Center in unknown conditions, PEOPLE confirmed.

The 16 taken to the hospital were expected to survive, Fire Chief Charles Hood said, also noting that no children are among the deceased.

As of Wednesday, the total number of deceased had climbed to 53, and Homeland Security Investigations had detained three individuals believed to be part of the alleged smuggling conspiracy, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told PEOPLE.

During Monday's press conference, Chief Hood revealed the unimaginable horror inside the tractor-trailer, stating, "We're not supposed to open up a truck and see stacks of bodies in there."

Chief Hood said that the victims, who are believed to be undocumented migrants, "were hot to the touch."

He added, "They were suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion. No signs of water in the vehicle. It was a refrigerated tractor-trailer but there was no visible working AC unit on that rig."

Temperatures in San Antonio reached a high of 103 degrees on Monday.

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