Bodies of Smugglers Found Among Illegal Immigrants Who Died in Desert

The bodies of two smugglers leading a group of illegal immigrants across the Imperial Valley desert from Mexico were among the eight bodies found near the Salton Sea last week, authorities said.

The group was apparently waiting for a van that never arrived and died in the heat. At least 22 people were part of the group that left Mexico on June 30; the first body was found July 3, authorities said.

“Either the other 13 made it or their bodies are out there somewhere,” said Ralph Smith, a coroner’s investigator with the Imperial County Sheriff’s Department. “We may never know.”

The bodies of seven people were found Thursday about 40 miles north of the border near the Salton Sea. Another body was discovered the day before a couple miles to the north.

One indicator that the people were likely part of a group being smuggled north was their link to a body found July 3.

“He had a pager on him. We found out that he was involved with smuggling,” Smith said. “We found his partner among the seven.”