Two found guilty after deaths of 53 migrants in hot San Antonio tractor-trailer

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Two men were convicted on Wednesday by a federal jury for their roles in a 2022 mass casualty migrant smuggling event in San Antonio, Texas, that left 53 dead and 11 others injured. A third man allegedly involved in the same fatal smuggling incident was extradited from Guatemala to the United States to face justice in the case.

San Antonio migrant trailer tragedy

The backstory:

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Felipe Orduna-Torres, also known as Cholo, Chuequito, and Negro, 30, and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, also known as El Don and Don Gon, 55, conspired with at least six others as part of an alien smuggling organization that loaded approximately 66 aliens into a tractor trailer, which lacked functioning air conditioning, and drove the aliens north across the U.S.-Mexico border and on a Texas interstate. 

RELATED: 46 people found dead, 16 hospitalized after tractor-trailer containing migrants found in Texas

On June 27, 2022, as the temperature rose, some of the migrants inside the trailer lost consciousness, while others clawed at the walls, trying to escape. 

By the time the tractor-trailer reached San Antonio, according to the evidence presented at trial, 48 migrants had already died. Another five migrants died after being transported to local hospitals. Six children and a pregnant woman were among the deceased. 

Information at the trial showed the defendants conspired with others to facilitate the travel of the aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras to the United States, charging the migrants and their families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 for the journey.

What's next:

Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega will be sentenced on June 27. 

They face up to life in prison.

Extradited from Guatemala to the United States

What we know:

Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, an alleged leader of a Guatemala-based migrant smuggling organization, was extradited from Guatemala to the United States for his alleged role in the San Antonio mass casualty incident.

According to court documents, Miranda-Orozco conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of four people from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States, charging the families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 for the deadly journey. 

In particular, Miranda-Orozco is alleged to be responsible for smuggling three people who died in the tractor trailer.

In August 2024, Miranda-Orozco was arrested in Guatemala. His arrest was part of a large-scale take-down during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala. 

Miranda-Orozco made his initial appearance Monday in federal district court in San Antonio and was arraigned on the indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States resulting in death, three counts of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, and one count of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.

Dig deeper:

Five men previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in the case, including the truck driver Homero Zamorano Jr., who was found hiding near the trailer and was arrested at the scene. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The other four who have previously pleaded guilty are Christian Martinez of Palestine, TX, Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, Riley Covarrubias-Ponce and Juan Francisco D'Luna Bilbao.

They all pleaded guilty to four counts each of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death; conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy; transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death; and transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.

What's next:

All five are expected to be sentenced later this year.  They all face a maximum penalty of life in prison for the counts resulting in death.

What they're saying:

"These convictions and extradition represent the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting the leaders, organizers, and key facilitators of alien smuggling networks that bring people illegally — at significant risk to life — into the United States," said Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "It is a powerful example of the crucial work of Joint Task Force Alpha, which has been enhanced and empowered to go after cartels and transnational criminal organizations and to eliminate the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking."

"The extradition of Miranda-Orozco to U.S. custody is a major step in the takedown of a large and complex human smuggling organization he is alleged to be a part of," said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. "Just as we’ve shown throughout the trial of Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega, we will continue to prosecute this case aggressively — seeking justice for those who have perished, and holding accountable those who illegally value profit over human life."

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) aggressively targets human smugglers, no matter where they operate or how far they think they can hide," said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. "These verdicts reflect the scope and depth of our human smuggling investigations. From country of origin to final destination, our special agents have worked tirelessly to track these criminals down and dismantle their entire smuggling network. One by one we are seeing the consequences of human smuggling as the justice system prevails."

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