2 Men Convicted in 2022 Human Smuggling Incident That Led to 53 Deaths

Both Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega face up to life in prison at their sentencing on June 27, according to the DOJ.

Police and other first responders work the scene where officials say dozens of people have been found dead and multiple others were taken to hospitals with heat-related illnesses after a semitrailer containing suspected illegal immigrants was found in San Antonio, Texas, on June 27, 2022. Eric Gay/AP Photo

A federal jury on Tuesday found two men guilty for their role in a 2022 tractor-trailer human smuggling incident in San Antonio, Texas, that led to the death of 53 illegal immigrants and injury of 11 others.

Felipe Orduna-Torres, 30, and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, 55, were convicted of conspiring with an alien smuggling organization that transported 66 migrants across the U.S.–Mexico border on June 27, 2022, resulting in deaths, bodily injuries, and placing lives in jeopardy.

The illegal immigrants—originated from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras—paid between $12,000 and $15,000 for the journey that stopped in San Antonio, Texas, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

During the three-hour drive, the illegal immigrants were crammed into a trailer without a functioning air conditioner. The sweltering heat caused some of them to lose consciousness, while others clawed at the walls trying to escape the trailer, the DOJ stated, citing evidence presented at the trial.

When the trailer reached San Antonio, the driver opened it to find that 48 individuals had already died. Five more died after being taken to the hospitals. Among the victims were six children and a pregnant woman.

“This case exemplifies why we all must pay attention. Human smuggling is dehumanizing, dangerous and it can be deadly,” Matthew Galeotti, head of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, said in a statement. “Our resolve in tackling these crimes will not waver.”

Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega each face up to life in prison at their sentencing scheduled for June 27, the DOJ stated.

The Epoch Times could not immediately reach their legal representatives for comment.

The investigation by U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities has also led to the extradition of Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, for his alleged role in the deadly smuggling operation. Miranda-Orozco was arrested in Guatemala in August 2024.

Members of law enforcement investigate a tractor trailer in San Antonio, Texas, on June 27, 2022. Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images

Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas stated that his extradition marked “a major step” in dismantling the human smuggling organization responsible for the incident.

“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,” Leachman said.

Five other suspects had previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in the smuggling case—namely Christian Martinez, Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao, and truck driver Homero Zamorano Jr. All five are scheduled for sentencing later this year, while another suspect remains a fugitive.

The incident is the deadliest among recent tragedies involving human smuggling. Ten illegal immigrants died in 2017 after they were trapped inside a truck parked at a Walmart in San Antonio. In 2003, the bodies of 19 illegal immigrants were found in a sweltering truck in San Antonio.

After taking office on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed several executive actions to deter and prevent illegal immigration, including increasing deportations and terminating the CBP One app service, which was established by the Biden administration to allow those without legal entry papers to schedule appointments at U.S. ports of entry.

To tackle illegal immigration at the border, the Pentagon announced on March 1 that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the deployment of elements of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team and a General Support Aviation Battalion to join U.S. troops already deployed along the U.S.–Mexico border.

About 2,400 soldiers comprising elements of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, from Fort Carson, Colorado, joined the border security mission, along with 500 more soldiers from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, according to the U.S. Northern Command. That brought the total number of troops at the border to about 9,000, it stated.

The Associated Press and Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.