Two men were convicted Tuesday for their roles in a deadly 2022 human smuggling incident in San Antonio, Texas, that left 53 migrants dead and 11 others injured.
A third suspect was extradited from Guatemala to face charges.
“These convictions and extradition represent the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting the leaders, organizers, and key facilitators of alien smuggling networks that bring people illegally — at significant risk to life — into the United States,” said Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
According to court evidence, Felipe Orduna-Torres, 30, and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, 55, were part of a smuggling operation that packed 66 migrants into a tractor-trailer without air conditioning. As temperatures soared on June 27, 2022, many lost consciousness, and some tried to escape. By the time the trailer reached San Antonio, 48 migrants had died; five more perished at hospitals. The victims, including six children and a pregnant woman, had paid smugglers between $12,000 and $15,000 for the journey from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega were convicted of conspiracy and transportation of illegal aliens, resulting in death and serious injury. Each faces a maximum life sentence at their June 27 hearing.
Meanwhile, Guatemalan authorities extradited Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, an alleged leader of the smuggling network, for his role in the tragedy.