San Antonio: Two men were convicted for their roles in a 2022 Texas smuggling attempt that caused 53 migrant deaths. The jury deliberated for only an hour.
Jurors in San Antonio federal court found Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzales-Ortega guilty of human smuggling resulting in death.
Both men were part of a smuggling network transporting migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Victims paid between $12,000 and $15,000 each to be smuggled into the U.S. and were packed into a truck.
The migrants were transported from Laredo, Texas, in a broken-down trailer without functioning air conditioning.
Horrific Conditions
During the three-hour journey, temperatures inside the trailer soared, causing many to scream and try to escape.
When the trailer was opened in San Antonio, 48 people were already dead, with more collapsing from the heat.
Sixteen survivors were rushed to hospitals, but five later died, including six children and a pregnant woman.
Prosecutors said the smugglers knew the trailer’s air conditioning did not work but ignored the deadly risk.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman stated that Orduna-Torres led the U.S. smuggling operation, with Gonzales-Ortega as his “right-hand man.”
Other Convictions
Five additional men, including truck driver Homero Zamorano Jr., had already pleaded guilty to felony charges.
Zamorano was found hiding in nearby bushes after the abandoned trailer was discovered.
Other guilty individuals include Christian Martinez, Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, and Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao.
All five men face possible life sentences, with their sentencing hearings scheduled for later this year.
One additional suspect remains a fugitive, while other accomplices face prosecution in Mexico and Guatemala.
Past Smuggling Tragedies
The 2022 tragedy was the deadliest migrant smuggling incident in U.S. history.
In 2017, ten migrants died after being trapped in a truck parked at a Walmart in San Antonio.
A similar case in 2003 resulted in 19 migrants being found dead inside a truck southeast of San Antonio.
Authorities continue efforts to dismantle smuggling operations that exploit vulnerable migrants seeking a better life.
Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega will be sentenced on June 27 and could face life in prison.
