Two men convicted in the deadliest human smuggling case in U.S. history were sentenced Friday in federal court in San Antonio for their roles in a 2022 smuggling operation that killed 53 migrants — 47 adults and six children, officials stated.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia sentenced Felipe Orduna-Torres, 30, to life in prison and a $250,000 fine, and Armando Gonzales-Ortega, 55, to 83 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Both were convicted in March of transporting undocumented migrants resulting in death, serious injury, and endangerment. The sentencing was held on the third anniversary of the tragedy.
Orduna-Torres, known by aliases such as “Cholo” and “Negro,” was a lead organizer in a human smuggling ring, while Gonzales-Ortega, aka “El Don,” coordinated logistics.
Between late 2021 and mid-2022, they smuggled migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico using stash houses, trailers, and shared smuggling routes to cut costs and boost profits.
On June 27, 2022, Gonzales-Ortega helped load 64 migrants, including eight children and one pregnant woman, into a tractor-trailer with a broken refrigeration unit.
The three-hour journey to San Antonio ended in horror: 48 people were found dead in the trailer; five more died at hospitals.
Orduna-Torres was also ordered to forfeit $96,000 and multiple vehicles, including a Cadillac Escalade and a semi-truck, plus $59,445 in cash.
Five other defendants have pleaded guilty and are set to be sentenced between November and December. Another alleged co-conspirator, Rigoberto Miranda-Orozco, arrested in Guatemala, is scheduled for trial in September.