Smugglers to be sentenced in 53 migrant deaths from 2022 human smuggling tragedy in Texas
Share this @internewscast.com

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Two individuals found guilty of federal charges related to the deaths of 53 migrants discovered in the back of a stifling tractor-trailer in Texas in 2022 are facing potential life sentences when they appear for sentencing on Friday.

Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzales-Ortega will be the first among several defendants to receive their sentences for their involvement in the San Antonio incident, which stands as the deadliest attempt at human smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border to date. In March, a jury found them guilty of participating in a human smuggling conspiracy that led to fatalities and injuries.

Prosecutors described Orduna-Torres as the leader of the smuggling operation inside the U.S. and Gonzales-Ortega as his top assistant.

The migrants were from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, and they had paid between $12,000 and $15,000 each to be brought into the United States, as indicated by the indictment. Their journey reached the Texas border city of Laredo, where they were loaded into a tractor-trailer with a malfunctioning air conditioning system for a three-hour trip to San Antonio.

As the temperature rose inside the trailer, those inside screamed and banged the walls of the trailer for help or tried to claw their way out, investigators said. Most eventually passed out. When the trailer was opened in San Antonio, 48 people were already dead. Another 16 were taken to hospitals, where five more died. The dead included six children and a pregnant woman.

Investigators said the Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega worked with human smuggling operations in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, and shared routes, guides, stash houses, trucks and trailers. Orduna-Torres provided the address in Laredo where they would be picked up, and Gonzalez-Ortega met them there.

Five other men previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in the smuggling case, including the truck driver Homero Zamorano Jr., who was found hiding near the trailer in some bushes. Zamorano faces up to life in prison when sentenced in December. The other defendants are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.

The incident is the deadliest among tragedies that have claimed thousands of lives in recent decades as people attempt to cross the U.S. border from Mexico. Ten immigrants died in 2017 after they were trapped inside a truck parked at a Walmart store in San Antonio. In 2003, the bodies of 19 immigrants were found in a sweltering truck southeast of San Antonio.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
First-round leader picks at Royal Portrush

Top Selections for Initial Round Leaders at Royal Portrush

Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission…
A makeshift memorial with crosses and flags for flood victims during a rainstorm.

Concerns Rise Over Potential Texas Floods as Volunteers Ordered to Evacuate While Cleaning Camp Mystic

FEARS loom of more Texas floods as volunteers cleaning up after the…
Love him or hate him —there's never been a president like Donald Trump

Whether you admire or dislike him, Donald Trump is a truly unique president in history.

Leader of the pack Trump. Who may go down in history as…
Chicago shooting: Family, friends say goodbye to Taylor Walker , victim killed outside Artis Lounge in River North

Farewell to Taylor Walker: Family and Friends Mourn Shooting Victim Outside Artis Lounge in River North, Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — Family and friends gathered to say goodbye to Taylor…
Republicans press leaders of Georgetown, Berkeley and CUNY on antisemitism complaints

GOP Questions Georgetown, Berkeley, and CUNY Leaders Over Antisemitism Concerns

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Tuesday, House Republicans questioned leaders from Georgetown University,…
Chinese illegals accused of plotting to scam elderly Americans out of life savings

Chinese Nationals Allegedly Planned to Defraud Elderly Americans of Their Savings

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained two Chinese nationals illegally residing in…
Tuesday Morning Minute: Trump's DOJ Is Winning

Tuesday Morning Update: Trump’s Department of Justice Sees Success

TOP O’ THE MORNIN’ Red-Hot at RedState  That’s the Democrat party in…
‘Ballard’ Episode 7 Recap: “Fork In the Road”

Recap of ‘Ballard’ Episode 7: “Decision Time”

In many cop shows, the main characters seem immune to harm. Regardless…
Douglass Park shooting report outlines then-Lifeguard Charles Leto's disciplinary past, Chicago Park District security issues

Detailed Report on Douglass Park Shooting Highlights Former Lifeguard Charles Leto’s Troubled History and Security Concerns in Chicago Park District

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Park District released its initial report on…
Firefighters battling a fire at a building in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Putin Initiates Missile and Drone Assault on Kharkiv, Triggering a Night of Chaos in Ukraine

VLADIMIR Putin has launched yet another devastating night of strikes on Ukraine,…

Tragic Incident: 19-Year-Old Factory Worker Loses Life in Meat Grinder Accident Despite Colleagues’ Efforts

A TEENAGER working at a burrito factory has been killed by a…
'American Idol' music supervisor Robin Kaye, husband Thomas Deluca ID'd as victims found shot to death inside Encino, LA home

‘Murder-Suicide Suspected: Music Director Robin Kaye and Spouse Thomas Deluca Discovered Dead in LA Residence’

ENCINO, LOS ANGELES — Authorities have identified a former “American Idol” music…