Suspects Sentenced for Human Smuggling Incident Resulting in Deaths of 53 Migrants
Two men were sentenced for their role in a human smuggling ring that resulted in the deaths of 47 adults and six children in a tractor-trailer in the Texas heat.
Felipe Orduna-Torres, the ringleader of the smuggling group, was sentenced to life in prison while Armanda Gonzales-Ortega, who coordinated smuggling efforts, was sentenced to 83 years in prison.
Both defendants were found guilty by a federal jury in March.
“These criminals will spend the rest of their lives in prison because of their cruel choice to profit off of human suffering,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s sentences are a powerful message to human smugglers everywhere: we will not rest until you are behind bars.”
Deadly Truck Incident
Court documents say that Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega ran an operation smuggling migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras into the United States from December 2021 to June 2022. The duo worked in “concert” to transport the migrants, sharing routes, guides, stash houses, and trucks to cut costs and maximize profits.
In June 2022, prosecutors say the group packed 64 migrants into a tractor-trailer. The suspects were said to be “aware” that the trailer’s reefer unit was broken and was not blowing any cold air into the cabin.
When the truck arrived three hours later in San Antonio, 48 of the migrants were already dead, and 16 were taken to hospitals, where five additional people died.
“Today’s sentences are the result of a far-reaching investigation and a tireless commitment by HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the deadliest human smuggling operation in U.S. history,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This case serves as a stark reminder: human smuggling is not a service — it is a deadly criminal enterprise.”
Meanwhile, five other defendants in the case have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Another defendant is scheduled for jury trial September 29.
The case was investigated by HSI along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Additional support was provided by ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Border Patrol, and state and local law enforcement.
It was part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a partnership between DHS and DOJ to target cartels and other criminal organizations to eliminate human trafficking and smuggling networks.
