SAN ANTONIO — Police say a man is in custody after 12 migrants were discovered hidden in a tanker truck Wednesday night near San Antonio.

According to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, a Von Ormy deputy noticed the 18-wheeler on Interstate 35, southwest of San Antonio, before 11 p.m. The deputy ran the plate and it came back stolen.

A short chase ensued, and police were then able to pull the vehicle over. The driver, a man, was armed, but police took him into custody. It’s believed the truck was coming from Laredo.

Police located the 12 migrants – 10 men and two women – bunched up in the tractor part of the truck. One of the women is pregnant. There were no children among them, police said.

Police said the migrants appeared to be in good health but were being checked out.

The migrants are from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. They will be debriefed. 

The smuggling operation occurred as much of Texas continues to experience record-breaking heat.

A little over a year ago, 53 migrants were found dead and 11 others injured in the back of a tractor-trailer with a compromised air supply. Victims included children as young as 13 years old. It was the deadliest human-smuggling event in U.S. history