Additional Coverage:
Two Mexican Nationals Found Guilty in Deadly Human Smuggling Operation
San Antonio, TX – Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzales-Ortega have been found guilty for their roles in the tragic human smuggling incident that claimed the lives of 53 migrants in San Antonio in June 2022. The pair face life imprisonment and will be sentenced on June 27, the three-year anniversary of the incident.
After a two-week trial, a federal jury deliberated for approximately one hour before delivering guilty verdicts on all counts. The charges included conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death and injury, and transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death and injury.
Orduna-Torres was identified as a leader of the smuggling operation, while Gonzales-Ortega served as coordinator. The victims, who included men, women, and children from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, perished in the back of an unventilated tractor-trailer.
This conviction follows the guilty pleas of five other individuals involved in the smuggling operation, including the truck driver, Homero Zamorano Jr. All await sentencing.
One other suspect remains a fugitive, and additional charges have been filed in Mexico and Guatemala. Authorities emphasized the dehumanizing and dangerous nature of human smuggling and pledged continued efforts to combat these crimes.