World.Alpha-News.org ➤ The news of the world is here
Convicted Roles in 2022 Texas Smuggling Tragedy Resulting in 53 Migrant Deaths

On March 18, a federal jury in San Antonio, Texas, convicted two Mexican men for their involvement in the smuggling tragedy where 53 migrants were packed into a truck and perished due to sweltering heat in June 2022, as announced by the Justice Department.

The incident involved over 60 migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras crammed in a tractor-trailer with faulty air conditioning, abandoned on the outskirts of San Antonio on a day where temperatures reached 103 Fahrenheit (39.4 Celsius) on June 27, 2022.

Tragically, 48 individuals were found deceased at the scene, with an additional five succumbing to their injuries in the hospital, including six children and a pregnant woman, detailed in a Justice Department press release. Furthermore, eleven others required hospitalization.

According to the Justice Department, accounts from court documents and trial evidence revealed harrowing scenes inside the trailer: some migrants lost consciousness, while others desperately tried to escape by clawing at the walls.

Felipe Orduna-Torres, 30, and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, 55, were both found guilty on four counts each of smuggling resulting in death and injury, with potential life sentences awaiting at their June 27 sentencing.

Defense attorneys were unavailable for immediate comment when contacted by Reuters.

During a media briefing, Matthew Galeotti, acting head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, described the conviction as a significant milestone, emphasizing the Department's dedication to eradicating cartels and transnational criminal groups.

Previously, four other individuals pleaded guilty, including the truck driver, while one suspect remains at large, as per a Justice Department spokesperson.

Furthermore, the investigation led to the extradition of Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, from Guatemala. Prosecutors allege that Miranda-Orozco headed a Guatemalan-based smuggling ring that facilitated the journey of three deceased migrants, charging their families $12,000 to $15,000 each for passage.