Guatemalan authorities apprehend seven individuals suspected of orchestrating the tragic incident where 53 migrants succumbed to asphyxiation in Texas back in 2022.
Guatemala City, Guatemala (AP) – Guatemalan authorities apprehended seven Guatemalans suspected of transporting 53 migrants from Mexico and Central America who succumbed to suffocation in 2022 in Texas. The incident occurred after these migrants were abandoned in a boiling hot tractor trailer.
These arrests are the latest development following years of investigations into the deadliest incident in the history of migrants smuggled across the Mexico border. Among the deceased were eight children.
Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez confirmed to The Associated Press that the arrests were facilitated following 13 raids in three Guatemalan departments. The main suspect, Rigoberto Román Miranda Orozco, the presumed leader of the smuggling syndicate, who has a warrant for his arrest issued by the United States, was apprehended as well.
Additionally, authorities confiscated vehicles and money and rescued other migrants during the operations, according to a statement.
Minister Jiménez stated, "This is a joint operation between the Guatemalan police and Homeland Security, in conjunction with other national agencies, to dismantle human trafficking networks, which is one of the primary objectives of the government President Bernardo Arévalo in relation to tackling the issue of illegal immigration."
Six individuals had already been indicted earlier.
Homero Zamorano Jr., who authorities claim was behind the wheel of the truck, and Christian Martinez were detained just after the migrants were discovered. Martinez later confessed to smuggling-related charges while Zamorano pleaded not guilty to the same charges and is now awaiting trial. Four Mexican nationals were also arrested in 2023.
Officials have claimed that the individuals knew the air-conditioning system in the trailer was faulty and would not blow cool air during the migrants' three-hour journey from the Laredo border city to San Antonio.
When the trailer was opened in San Antonio, 48 migrants had already lost their lives. Sixteen others were rushed to hospitals, where another five perished. The victims hailed from Mexico (27), Honduras (14), Guatemala (7), and El Salvador (2).
Authorities allege that the individuals collaborated with human smuggling operations in Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, sharing routes, guides, safe houses, trucks, and trailers, some of which were parked at a private lot in San Antonio.
Migrants paid up to $15,000 each to be smuggled across the United States border. This fee included up to three attempts to enter the country.
Orozco, the alleged leader, was apprehended in the Guatemalan department of San Marcos, on the border with Mexico. The other arrests took place in the departments of Huehuetenango and Jalapa. The police dubbed the gang "Los Orozcos" as several of those arrested share the surname.
The Guatemalan government stated, "Said organization illegally housed and transported hundreds of migrants of various nationalities to the United States, amassing millions of quetzals (the national currency) over several years of operation."
The Guatemalan authorities involved US authorities in their investigations, given that Orozco, the main suspect, has a warrant for his arrest issued by the United States.
This joint operation by Guatemalan authorities and Homeland Security aims to dismantle human trafficking networks, as part of President Bernardo Arevalo's objectives in dealing with illegal immigration.
