The mother of two victims from the San Antonio migrant tragedy says her sons were looking to build a better future in the United States when their lives were tragically cut short.
Karen Caballero, of Honduras, toldNoticias Telemundothat her sons, Fernando José Redondo Caballero and Alejandro Miguel Andino Caballero, were among the53 people declared deadafter a tractor-trailer with dozens of migrants aboard was found Monday in southwest San Antonio.
“Every day, they asked me, ‘Mom, when are we going to go?’ " she tearfully said in Spanish, per NBC News.
Themother said that her sons began their journey on June 4, according toReuters, which cited separate media interviews. Also joining the brothers was Margie Tamara Paz, 24, whom Caballero referred to as her daughter-in-law, theWashington Postreported.
“They had dreams as a couple,” she told a Honduran television network, per Reuters. “They had goals, and here they wouldn’t fulfill them.”
Before her sons left for the U.S., Caballero recalled telling them “I hope you triumph” before exchanging hugs and kisses, per NBC News.
Caballero said she lost contact with her sons on Saturday morning, Reuters reported. Two days later, the horrific tragedy was discovered.
The Honduran government has since confirmed that identification documents for the brothers and Paz were found inside the tractor-trailer, according to the news agency.
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In the news release, the Department of Justice said that a man who allegedly was driving the tractor-trailer was in custody and had been charged with smuggling resulting in death.
A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)confirmed to PEOPLEearlier Wednesday that three additional suspects were in custody.
Alejandro was just about to complete a marketing degree, while Paz held a degree in economics, Caballero told Noticias Telemundo, per NBC News. However, neither were successful in finding work, she said.
“We all planned it as a family so they could have a different life, so they could achieve goals, dreams,” she told theWashington Post.
“My children leave a void in my heart,” she added. “We’re going to miss them a lot.”
source: people.com