Migrant Smuggling Death Truck!
Migrant
Los Angeles, July 2 (EFE).-
A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty Thursday to his involvement in the deadliest migrant smuggling incident in US history, which left 53 undocumented immigrants dead and 11 injured in San Antonio, Texas.
Rigoberto Ramón Miranda Orozco pleaded guilty to multiple counts of conspiracy to illegally bring immigrants from Guatemala, through Mexico and into the US, which resulted in death.
The incident occurred on June 27, 2022, when 66 undocumented immigrants were smuggled in a truck trailer without air conditioning from Mexico to the US in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
By the time the vehicle was found in San Antonio, Texas, 48 migrants had already died. Another five migrants died after being taken to local hospitals. Six children and a pregnant woman were among the dead.
Miranda Orozco admitted that he arranged for the aliens’ transportation and accommodations throughout Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States, according to court documents.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring an alien into the United States resulting in death; aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in death; and aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in serious bodily injury, the Department of Justice said.
In August 2024, he was arrested in Guatemala as part of a large-scale operation during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across the country. He was extradited to the US in March 2025.
Miranda Orozco’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 8, and he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
“Miranda-Orozco was an important organizer in a complex alien smuggling organization that prioritized profits and endangered people,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said in a statement.
The prosecutor added that the case highlights the far-reaching consequences of immigration crimes and human trafficking.
Two men have already been sentenced in this case: Felipe Orduña Torres was sentenced to life imprisonment and Armando González Ortega to 83 years in prison. They also face fines of $250,000 each.
The truck driver, Homero Zamorano Jr., who pleaded guilty to the charges related to the tragedy, awaits sentencing. EFE
amv/tw
