Texas Smugglers Guilty After 53 Migrants Die in Hot Truck

(KNUE-FM) - It was back in 2022 when the nation’s deadliest smuggling attempt took place in Texas as 53 immigrants died in the extreme heat of the back of a tractor-trailer with no air conditioning. 

Details Surrounding the Case and Upcoming Punishment 

It’s a torture that hopefully you will never have to experience but jurors didn’t take long as according to NBCDFW it only took one hour to convict Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzales-Ortega for their part in the human smuggling conspiracy resulting in death or injury. 

The two men will be back in court on June 27th where they could each face life in prison. 

Where Were the Immigrants From and How Much Did They Pay? 

According to reports the immigrants were from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. 

Each of the 53 people paid between $12,000 and $15,000 to be smuggled into the United States. 

They all made it to the Texas border city of Laredo when they were placed into the back of a tractor-trailer with a broken air conditioning unit for the three-hour drive to San Antonio. 

They Screamed and Banged on the Walls 

The immigrants were trying to get help by banging on the walls of the truck or even trying to claw their way out of the hot truck. Most passed out due to the extreme heat. 

When the trailer was opened in San Antonio 48 people were dead. Another 16 were taken to hospitals, there were five more deaths from those taken to nearby hospitals. 

There were six children and a pregnant woman that all died in that tractor-trailer. 

Five men have already pleaded guilty to felony charges in the smuggling case, including the driver who faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. All five will be sentenced later this year. 

There have been others who have been charged in Mexico and Guatemala.