A suspect who is believed to have masterminded a human smuggling attempt that led to the deaths of 53 migrants has been arrested in Guatemala in what U.S. officials say is a dramatic development in the case.
Rigoberto Román Miranda Orozco has been charged with six counts of migrant smuggling leading to death or serious injury in connection to the incident, which took place in Texas in 2022.
The announcement of the arrest by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday marked a major escalation in the cross-border crackdown on human trafficking networks.
The Justice Department also confirmed it will seek Miranda Orozco's extradition to the U.S., where, if convicted, he could face life imprisonment.
Authorities allege that Miranda Orozco played a key role in the ill-fated smuggling operation, which culminated in the gruesome discovery of an abandoned tractor-trailer filled with dead migrants on a remote Texas road.
The victims included 27 Mexicans, 14 Hondurans, seven Guatemalans, and two Salvadorans. The tragedy prompted President Joe Biden to condemn the event as "horrifying and heartbreaking."
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza warned Miranda Orozco during a press conference in San Antonio: "We will pursue you, whether you are hiding in the United States or you're hiding elsewhere."
The development is the first time that anyone arrested outside of the U.S. has faced charges connected relating to the case, and highlights the international scope of the investigation.
Miranda Orozco's arrest is part of a broader crackdown that has resulted in the detention of seven people inside the U.S. and six more in Guatemala.
However, only Miranda Orozco is slated for extradition to the U.S.; the others will face trial in Guatemala, according to Esparza.
Miranda Orozco's attorney, Carlos Merida, who is in Guatemala, denied the charges, describing his client as a "regular citizen" who had lived as a migrant in the U.S. for 15 years.
The investigation has already led to the arrest of several key players. Homero Zamorano Jr. is accused of driving the truck, and Christian Martinez, both from Texas, were among the first to be detained.
Martinez has pleaded guilty to smuggling-related charges, while Zamorano pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Four Mexican nationals were also apprehended in 2023 for their involvement in the crime.
The men involved in the smuggling knew that the trailer's air-conditioning system was broken but left the migrants trapped inside without ventilation during the stifling three-hour journey from Laredo to San Antonio, according to investigators, The Associated Press reported.
They told how, as temperatures rose to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), the desperate cries and frantic attempts of the migrants to escape went unanswered.
By the time the trailer was opened, 48 people were dead. Five more succumbed to their injuries after being transported to hospitals.
U.S. authorities have linked the suspects to sophisticated smuggling rings in Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. The networks are believed to have coordinated the movement of migrants through an intricate web of routes, stash houses, and vehicles, including some trailers stored in San Antonio.
The migrants are believed to have paid up to $15,000 each for a chance to cross the border, with the fee covering up to three attempts.
Guatemala's Interior Minister, Francisco Jiménez, said the recent arrests were the result of 13 coordinated raids across three departments, during which police also seized vehicles, cash, and rescued other migrants.
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