Most of the migrants found dead in an abandoned truck trailer in the United States are women, new information says.

Only 12 of the 53 dead that have since been counted are men, said the head of the Mexican migration authority, Francisco Garduño, on Wednesday in Mexico City.

A body has not yet been identified.

It was unclear whether children were among the dead.

Garduño said that 27 of the victims were Mexican, 14 from Honduras, seven from Guatemala and two from El Salvador.

According to local police, a worker discovered the bodies on Monday evening (local time) after hearing a call for help from the trailer.

At least 16 survivors were dehydrated and taken to a hospital with heat exhaustion.

According to the fire department of the Texan city, the trailer, which was parked in the heat of around 40 degrees on the outskirts of San Antonio, apparently had neither a working air conditioning system nor water.

The victims were allegedly smuggled into the United States, San Antonio is only about 250 kilometers from the Mexican border.

Three suspects in custody

The Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, commented on the grisly find on Wednesday.

"It is the deadliest case of migrant smuggling on American soil," lamented Abbott, raising serious allegations against Democratic President Joe Biden: Biden's lax migration policy was responsible for the catastrophe.

Abbott demanded that Biden make it clear that no one can enter the country illegally so that migrants do not even set off.

There are legal ways to immigrate.

In addition, the US border protection agency must be properly equipped so that it can do its job.

Fake license plates

The truck had passed through two checkpoints run by the CBP border protection agency on Monday.

The license plates and logos of a Texas company were fake.

The driver said he was a survivor.

However, he was identified and – like two other suspects – arrested.

Two Mexicans are being investigated.

The foreign ministers of Mexico and Guatemala announced that their countries would participate in the investigation.