Guatemalan police have arrested seven people linked to the smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of 53 people in Texas in 2022.
The arrests, which took place on Wednesday, mark a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking and smuggling across Central America and the United States.
The suspects, all of whom are Guatemalan nationals, were apprehended during coordinated raids across three cities: San Marcos, Huehuetenango, and Jalapa.
Among those detained is Rigoberto Roman Miranda Orozco, identified as the alleged ringleader of the smuggling ring, known locally as “Los Orozcos.” Orozco’s extradition has been requested by the United States, where he faces charges related to the tragic incident, according to CBS News.
The Guatemalan government confirmed the arrests, adding, “Said organization illegally housed and transferred hundreds of migrants of different nationalities to the United States, collecting millions of quetzales (the national currency) through several years of operation.”
Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez announced that the operation involved 13 raids, during which authorities seized vehicles and cash and rescued migrants.
“This is a collaborative effort between the Guatemalan police and Homeland Security, in addition to other national agencies, to dismantle the structures of human trafficking, one of the strategic objectives of the government President Bernardo Arevalo in order to take on the phenomenon of irregular migration,” Jimenez said.
The 2022 tragedy, which occurred when a tractor-trailer loaded with more than 60 people was abandoned in the Texas heat, exposed the severe dangers faced by those seeking to cross into the United States illegally. Most of those who were packed in the cramped trailer, many from Mexico and Central America, suffocated in the sweltering conditions as the trailer’s air conditioning system malfunctioned. Among the deceased were eight children.
In addition to Orozco, the Guatemalan authorities have charged several others involved in the smuggling operation.
Previously, six people, including U.S. citizens Homero Zamorano Jr. and Christian Martinez, had been arrested. Zamorano, who allegedly drove the truck, faces trial, while Martinez has pleaded guilty to charges related to the smuggling operation. Four Mexican nationals were also apprehended in connection with the case last year, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned the human smugglers in a recent statement, saying, “Human smugglers prey on migrants’ hope for a better life, but their only priority is profit. Tragically, 53 people who had been loaded into a tractor-trailer in Texas and endured hours of unimaginable cruelty lost their lives because of this heartless scheme. Human smugglers who put people’s lives at risk for profit and break our laws cannot hide for long: We will find you and bring you to justice.”