SAN ANTONIO, TX — Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzales-Ortega, both Mexican nationals, have been found guilty for their involvement in the deadliest human smuggling event in U.S. history. The two men face life sentences after their conviction in connection with a 2022 tragedy that led to the deaths of 53 immigrants trapped in a hot, airless tractor-trailer in San Antonio.
The incident occurred on June 27, 2022, when 67 migrants, including children, were discovered abandoned in the truck, which had been smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border. The temperatures inside the trailer soared to dangerous levels, leading to the deaths of 53 individuals from suffocation and heatstroke. The victims, who had paid large sums — between $12,000 and $15,000 each — to be smuggled into the United States, included 27 Mexicans, 14 Hondurans, 7 Guatemalans, and 2 Salvadorans. Among the victims were six children and a pregnant woman.
The trial, which took place in San Antonio, lasted two weeks, with the jury deliberating for just about an hour before convicting Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega. Both men were found guilty on several charges, including:
Conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death
Causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy
Transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death
Transportation of illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury
The two men played pivotal roles in the deadly smuggling operation, with Orduna-Torres acting as one of the leaders and Gonzales-Ortega serving as the coordinator of the conspiracy.
In addition to Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega, five other individuals have pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the tragedy, including the truck driver, Homero Zamorano Jr., who was found hiding near the trailer. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Other guilty parties include Christian Martinez, Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, and Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao. Sentencing for these individuals is set for later this year.
The case remains ongoing, with one suspect still at large and several others charged in Mexico and Guatemala. The sentencing for Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega is set for June 27, 2025, the three-year anniversary of the horrific event.
