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Seven migrants found in back of van after alleged human smugglers flee, Bexar Co. Sheriff's Office says

Sheriff Javier Salazar said the people who were smuggled had been working for a year to be able to afford this journey.

SAN ANTONIO — Seven migrants were caught after trying to flee from deputies from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday. 

Deputies said they tried to stop a white van for speeding. Instead of stopping, the van's driver attempted to flee. 

Deputies found the van and said when they started processing the vehicle, they found seven migrants. They believe this was a human smuggling operation. The ages of those found were from 19 to 27, according to the sheriff's office. 

Sheriff Javier Salazar said several of the people who were caught were wearing camouflage and had carpet glued to the bottom of their shoes. He said this operation also came at a cost.

"{They told us that} it cost them upwards of a year of pay to get smuggled across," Salazar said. "They've been working on a way to save up money."

They told deputies that they had been walking through the desert and woods for two to three days, then forced into a truck and told not to look at anything or anybody.

Salazar said those who were apprehended were bought food since they had not eaten in two days. They were taken into custody for further questioning.

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