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
UC Berkeley professor gunned down by masked attacker in Greece

UC Berkeley Professor Fatally Shot by Masked Assailant in Greece

A University of California, Berkeley professor was shot and killed by a…
NATO jets scrambled amid Russia's largest drone attack on Ukraine

NATO Jets Deploy as Russia Launches Major Drone Strike on Ukraine

NATO jets were scrambled overnight as Russia carried out its largest drone…
Trump threatens Russia with tariffs if Ukraine war isn't resolved within 50 days

Trump Considers Imposing Tariffs on Russia to Expedite Resolution of Ukraine Conflict

The Republican president made the announcement during an Oval Office meeting with…
Multiple people were injured in 2 Kentucky shootings, including one at a church

Several individuals were hurt in two shooting incidents in Kentucky, one of which occurred at a church.

Police say the suspect carjacked a vehicle after shooting the trooper and…
3 juveniles charged in Cicero armed robbery after police chases end in Austin, Chicago and Hammond, Indiana, officials say

3 Minors Charged in Cicero Armed Robbery Following Police Pursuits in Austin, Chicago, and Hammond, Indiana, Authorities Report

Three juveniles have been charged in a Cicero armed robbery after two…
Trump Praises FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino: 'He's a Very Good Guy'

Trump Commends FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino: 'A Great Man'

This past weekend was marked by significant drama, with both political sides…
Princess Eugenia of Hanover, 23, details 'bad sides' of her royal title, says it caused problems at school

Princess Eugenia of Hanover, 23, Opens Up About the Challenges of Her Royal Title and Its Impact on Her School Life

Princess Eugenia of Hanover has opened up about her royal title, saying…
The Left's Continual Calls for Assassinations Are Growing Alarming

Trump Shares How He Believes Divine Intervention Saved Him on the Anniversary of Butler Assassination Attempt

During a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump marked the one-year…

Introducing the ‘Sea Spaceship’: A Futuristic Luxury Yacht Promising a Refined, Million-Dollar Getaway

A FUTURISTIC luxury yacht that’s dubbed a “sea spaceship” has been unveiled.…
Manuel Jose Rosales Yajure identified as Streamwood man who died after found at Centennial Beach: Naperville Police Department

The Naperville Police Department reports that the man who passed away after being found at Centennial Beach has been identified as Manuel Jose Rosales Yajure from Streamwood.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WLS) — The 27-year-old Streamwood man who died after being…
Explore Spain's prestigious Priorat wine region from this high-design hotel

Experience Spain’s Prestigious Priorat Wine Region from a Stylish Hotel Retreat

Like a robust bottle of red from Spain’s Tarragona province, Gran Hotel…
Portrait of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal in uniform.

What Caused Air India Flight 171’s Fuel Shutdown: Pilot Mistake, Mechanical Failure, or Deliberate Act?

TO the terrified locals who ducked when Air India Flight 171 narrowly…